


Vagaries of Fate

by Chaosmoon75 (Chaosmoon)



Series: Life Finds a Way (Even if it Isn't Always Easy) [2]
Category: Compilation of Final Fantasy VII, Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII, Final Fantasy VII
Genre: Clean-Up, F/M, Genesis is romantic, Sequel, Weddings, but still an ass sometimes, post-Crisis Core AU
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-10-14
Updated: 2019-07-21
Packaged: 2019-08-02 04:18:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 13
Words: 51,174
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16298027
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Chaosmoon/pseuds/Chaosmoon75
Summary: Sequel to Life Finds a Way. Clarissa and the 3 Firsts didn't have much of a chance to relax after Jenova was mostly destroyed. There are still many things to be addressed and Fate can have a funny way of bringing up the unexpected. Our redeemed Heroes will need to navigate through the mess that was the old Shinra to build a new world, all while trying to deal with new enemies.





	1. Down the Rocky Road

**Author's Note:**

> If you haven't already read Life Finds a Way, please read it first. If you have and you noticed this title is different than what I originally posted, but this is still the sequel. For everyone that decides to read this and hang out with me while I tell this story, welcome and I hope you enjoy!

## Chapter 1

It had been a month since Jenova’s destruction and still life had not managed to settle into any kind of a pattern for the Soldiers.  That didn’t mean everything was bad, but it was hectic.  Once they all got back from Banora, they had to deal with a dozen small problems that had cropped up since they were all gone at once.  None of it was major, thankfully, but it did keep them all busy.  Veld had been able to keep anything major from developing.

Once they returned Sephiroth insisted that Clarissa take at least a week to fully recover.  She had gone through several major trials back to back and had not managed to shake off her fatigue with the way things happened.  For the first time she didn’t object.  She took the time to spend as much time as she could in the Sector 5 slums before she got so busy she wouldn’t be able to go often.  Either Zack or Cloud would usually accompany her.  She was happy to find that the shy blonde was getting along well with Zack too, as she knew it wouldn’t be long until he would be joining their ranks and he was doing well with the military training.

Aerith had been thankful to see her when she first went to visit, but she wasn’t as worried as she had been the first time the planet called out to her.  Clarissa was not surprised to find that the interference at the reactor had been Holy after all.  She was only upset that Aerith had been worried.  She was happy to find out that the ordeal had been a catalyst for Aerith to open up further to Zack.  Every time she saw the two of them making googly eyes at each other she had to repress a squeal of joy.  It was nice to see something so innocently happy after everything they had to deal with recently.  Not that it was bad, but it had been hard.  She was just thankful that Jenova was mostly gone for good.  She tried not to let the thought that there was still more to tackle worry her too much, at least not while she was supposed to be resting.

She ended up needing to take a week and a half to fully recover, mostly at Genesis’ insistence, but she still didn’t complain.  Once she was back officially, Sephiroth finally asked that she let them know what her choice was.  She had thought long and hard about it as it had not been an easy decision.  All three of the Firsts were in Sephiroth’s office when he called her in to give him her answer.  She looked at all of them with a crooked smile.  She couldn’t believe they had all come so far together, but she wouldn’t have changed it.  She turned back to Sephiroth with a growing smile.  “It wasn’t an easy decision, and my answer may not be what you are looking for, but I have decided to take the position of First.”

Angeal and Sephiroth both gave her a look of surprise.  She held up a hand to let them know she wasn’t finished.  “I know the three of you can handle pretty much anything, but I wouldn’t feel right leaving everything on your shoulders.  I would like to request permission to be a consultant on whatever team gets built for the alternate energy though.  I can assist with that whenever I am here at headquarters.”

Once she finished speaking Sephiroth chuckled.  “I shouldn’t be surprised.  You haven’t yet not tried to handle everything.”  He paused and gave her a smile.   “Congratulations, Soldier First Clarissa Williamson.”  He stood and shook her hand before Angeal moved to do the same.  Genesis was the only one that didn’t look happy about her decision, but he still gave her hand a squeeze before Sephiroth spoke up again.  “As for the rest of your request, I think that would be a good idea, but expect to be spending more time at headquarters.  Unless it is important, I will not be sending you on any away missions.  Most of us will be staying here for now anyway, so make the most of it while you can.”

She gave him a nod before she stood up.  Sephiroth stopped her before she turned to leave.  “Make sure you go down to the requisition office.  I had several uniforms made for you in case you decided to take the promotion.”

She shook her head at him with a smile.  “And here I thought you were surprised at my decision.”

“It never hurts to be prepared.”  He smiled at her retreating form but called out before she walked out.  “I almost forgot; there will be a meeting at 13:00.  Rufus has returned and has asked that all the Firsts be in attendance as well as the directors.  Make sure you get your uniforms before then as you will be expected to attend as well.”

She wasn’t sure if there was more he wasn’t saying, but she gave him a nod before she walked out with Genesis by her side.  Now that they were alone she looked over to see him frowning.  They had talked about her decision several times and she had not hidden the fact that she was leaning toward staying in Soldier, despite his protests.  No matter how much he let her know he didn’t like the idea, he had never tried to pressure her toward his way of thinking.  She was grateful that he had left the choice up to her and was only showing his irritation that she didn’t take his advice, instead of throwing a fit.  She reached out and gave his hand a squeeze.

He looked over and his gaze softened.  “There is no hate, only joy, for you are beloved by the Goddess.  I suppose congratulations are in order.  As much as I don’t like the idea of you continuing to throw yourself at danger, I can fully admit that you earned it.”  He paused and pulled her into a light hug before he kissed her forehead and let her go.  “I will not ask that you be less reckless as I have seen how effective that is.  However, I will ask that you try to remember you don’t have to face everything alone.  I recall that is advice that I shouldn’t need to give you.”

She laughed lightly at his admonition.  She knew it was only because he was worried about what they still had to face.  “I can’t say what the future holds, but I hope it never comes to that kind of decision again.”  His gaze sank back into a slight frown at her words, but he didn’t say anything else.

When they reached the requisition office Genesis headed on while she walked in.  The man behind the desk smiled at her when she entered.  As she thought back to the first time she had seen him, it was a drastic contrast.  She supposed a year and a war was enough to make that big of a difference.  She didn’t even have to ask for her packet before he handed her a pile with several uniforms.  “The General already called and gave me the news.  Congratulations!”

She smiled and thanked him.  It was a little surreal how completely she had finally assimilated.  She still thought about the last sight of her daughter often, but she realized that she was already on her way to finding happiness despite the pain she was sure would never go away.  She gave him a wave and a smile as she walked out and back to her apartment to change.

* * *

 

It wasn’t quite time for the meeting to start, but Clarissa headed up early.  She was a little nervous now that she had time to think about Rufus being here.  She had not had to interact with him since she arrived, but she could imagine he wasn’t too happy with the new direction the company was headed.  She only hoped he could be convinced.  At least he was younger than the first time he took over and more likely to listen to the advice of the Turks, or she hoped so at least.

When she walked in she found Reeve sitting at the head of the table speaking with Veld.  She almost missed Vincent leaning next to the wall near the door too.  They all stood at her entrance.  Veld raised a brow at her new uniform before speaking.  “I had hoped that you would decide to leave Soldier.  I feel that you would better fit elsewhere, but I suppose I will extend my congratulations.”

She shook her head at his quip.  This was not the first time the Turk Director had asked that she transfer.  “It doesn’t mean that we can’t still work together, but I felt it would be best.  For now, my focus will still be on alternate energy, while I’m at headquarters anyway.”

Reeve held out his hand once she moved to their side.  “Well, I am looking forward to seeing what we can make happen.”  She had the opportunity to meet Reeve when they had first returned.  He had searched her out as soon as he had found out they were back.  The CEO was still a little overwhelmed by the situation and was still unsure why he had ended up in the position he held, but it didn’t take them long to form a friendship.  Despite how busy he was, he tried to occasionally find time to talk to her about his passion for electronics.  She was in awe as well.  She had never had the chance to see something as advanced as the Cait Sith dolls before they spoke.  He was still in the design process but had been happy to share once he got passed the idea that she already knew about it. 

Not everyone had been told about where she was from, but most of the people at the director level knew.  The rest of the team felt it was prudent to try and explain since she had been unknown before the last year.  She was sometimes still overwhelmed when she thought about everything that had been accomplished in that year.  Most days she tried not to think about it, instead focusing on taking one day at a time.  She had plenty to keep her busy, so it wasn’t usually a problem.

Vincent had moved to congratulate her as well, but they were interrupted when Rufus walked into the room followed by Tseng.  His eyes narrowed when he saw her standing there, but they widened again when he caught sight of her uniform.  He didn’t hesitate to walk up and introduce himself.  “With that uniform I will assume you are our newest First, Ms. Williamson.” 

He held out his hand and she took it tentatively.  “Soldier Se- First Class Clarissa Williamson.  Nice to meet you sir.”

His eyes had roved over her while she introduce herself.  She bristled at his evaluating gaze but didn’t say anything.  He took another moment before letting her hand go.  His eyes narrowed again before he spoke.  “I understand that our current state is due to your efforts.  Did you think how they might have been taken before you interfered?”

She saw Veld move out of the corner of her eyes, but she stiffened her shoulders and spoke before anyone else could say anything.  “That is only partially true.  It was due to my efforts that people were able to get a better idea of what was really going on; however, the rest was a group effort to ensure that the world becomes a better place as well as ensuring the continuing growth of Shinra as a company.  The way it has been going was unsustainable.”

He didn’t say anything right away but when he did his voice showed no sign of irritation.  “And I am supposed to believe that you only acted to do what was best for the company?”

She didn’t let his words faze her.  She shook her head before responding.  “That would be a stretch so there is no point in me denying I had motives beyond that.  I will state that I did not disregard the health of the company though.  Shinra Electric Power Company is the acting equivalent of the world government as well as being the largest employer in the world.  Had the company failed it could have thrown the world into chaos as well as leaving many people destitute. If my goal is to save the world, destroying this company would be counterproductive.”

His eyes had widened further as she spoke.  He almost wore a smile when he answered.  “I suppose I can see why you were able to make changes.  You are certainly persuasive.”

Any response she might have had was interrupted by Genesis’ sharp voice.  “While I will agree that Soldier Williamson has a silver tongue, I did not think that was the reason this meeting was requested.  I believe we are all here now.”

Clarissa turned and saw that all three of the Firsts had entered.  Palmer had also shown up at some point and was trying to make himself invisible in one corner of the room.  Reeve was the one to speak up though.  “We are almost all here, but we are still waiting on the Director of the Science Department.”

At his words a female voice spoke up from behind Sephiroth.  “I’m here as well.”  Sephiroth stepped aside to show Shalua.  Clarissa couldn’t contain her grin at the sight of the other woman.  She didn’t hesitate to head over.  She stopped short of hugging the woman, but she did grasp her hand and grin at her before speaking.  “Congratulations!  I’m so glad you decided to take the position!”

The woman shook her head at Clarissa’s enthusiasm.  “Thank you, but I understand congratulations are in order for you as well.  I’m glad to hear we will be working together also.”

Reeve interrupted again.  “I hate to break this up, but if we are all here, why don’t we get started.”

Clarissa turned to him with a nod and moved to take a seat next to Genesis with the other Firsts.  Rufus looked between her and the fiery red-head and raised a brow.  Clarissa ignored it.  If he didn’t know yet that they were a couple, now was not the time to bring it up.  She doubted that was the case anyway.  She didn’t know if it was part of some game for him, but it wasn’t worth worrying about currently.

Once everyone was seated Reeve stood.  “I know you were all told that Rufus requested this meeting, and that is the case, but we have other things to discuss as well.  For now, President Rufus has asked to observe and get to know the few of you that he has not had a chance to work with yet.”  He paused, and several people nodded.

Since his statement didn’t really require any verbal acknowledgement he moved on.  “We are all aware that we are currently working on reconstructing the company from the inside out, but that is our easiest issue to tackle.  I received an update today that our team that was working on excavating the entrance to Deepground has run into further issues.  From what they can tell the whole tunnel has been collapsed.  This is not just a further delay, we also have to pause in further excavation to start reinforcing the tunnel as they dig it out.  Since the entrance was in the lobby of the building then further excavation without proper measures would likely cause damage to the building as well.”

“We have been looking through the data left by Hojo and Hollander for any further information on possible entrances, but the Turks have found that there many missing pieces of information.  Given that we know Hojo was working on cleaning up Hollander’s mess before he… left as well, it would seem as if Hollander took much of it with him.  Given that we know Hollander has allied with Avalanche we must make sure we are reinforced against any attacks.  We also need to be prepared for stronger Ravens, or whatever else they might throw at us.”

“As much as that is, we have also found that there are several places across the globe where Hojo had secret laboratories.  We have not sent anyone out to them yet, but we cannot wait long until we start to investigate them.  We cannot take the chance that Avalanche might find them.  There is no telling what research was done there so that will need to be a high priority.”

He paused and took a sip from a small glass of water next to him.  He looked slightly nervous as he gazed around at all the frowns facing him, but he managed to find his voice again.  “In addition to all of these things that we are facing internally, we also need to address how we plan to handle the alliance with Wutai.  As it was formed under duress, it will be a delicate matter to address, but we need to decide if it should be continued as is.  I am sure it will only be a matter of time before they learn of the upheavals we are facing, and I believe it would be best to reach out first.”

This time he paused long enough to listen to alternatives.  Rufus looked like he was going to stand but Clarissa noticed Tseng reach out a hand to keep him from saying anything.  The young president frowned but didn’t stand after he saw Veld look his way also.  Most of the gathered people didn’t notice as Sephiroth stood and caught everyone’s attention.  “It has only been a matter of a few months since we signed the treaty with Emperor Godo.  If we go back now, it is highly likely that he will bar any Shinra activity from Wutai at all.  We also know that Wutai is not only the base of operations for Avalanche, but from what I have seen in the initial reports, there are also at least two of Hojo’s hidden bases over there.  No matter what, we need to at least secure access to those locations and request that they not allow sanctuary for Avalanche.  We have already seen that they have no regard for human life.”  He paused and looked over at Genesis and Clarissa before speaking again.  “I am sure they would not like to see any of us within their borders again, so I would not recommend that be handled by Soldier, however, we do need to make sure to request permission for us to handle the investigation into the missing labs.  Once they are cleared we will never need to access the continent again if they so wish.  I would understand if that were the case.”

Reeve shook his head as Sephiroth took his seat again.  “We have a team of negotiators that is ready to go as soon as we give the go ahead.  Most of what you have asked is already on the list to speak about.  The problem is that we cannot send them until we decide what we can offer them in exchange for access to the continent in the first place.  We may have conquered them, but if we are to find a way to global peace, we cannot let things stand as they are.  If we were to go there now, it would be likely that they would close the borders, and understandably so.”

At that point Clarissa stood.  “There are a couple of things that we need to remember, that we might bring up as well.  As painful as the last eight years were, not everyone in Wutai, or from Shinra, brought only hate.  As we have seen in our recent travels there are many that used to work for Shinra that now live in Wutai.  If they were to impose complete sanctions it would only serve to harm people that are now part of their country.  The Emperor struck me as a reasonable man, that still held his honor even in defeat.  It is my opinion if we approach him with humility and reason we should be allowed at least the opportunity to make things right as well as to investigate the things our ex-employees have hidden away out there.  I am sure if he understood why were investigating he would be more than happy to allow us to clean up what is essentially our own mess.”

Reeve had been writing several things down while she had been speaking.  Once she was done he looked back to her with a slight frown.  “I agree that we need to be open, but, as much as I hate to say it, we need to be prepared for the worst-case scenario.  If they close their borders we cannot leave without at least finding the missing labs.”

Clarissa shook her head.  “We have to be honest with them.  If we are not completely clear this could start another war and that is the one thing we really need to avoid.  Shinra still symbolizes brute force and power across the globe.  If we stand any chance of changing that any time soon, we cannot continue to force our way where we want to go.”

Reeve’s frown only deepened.  “I will agree; however, this is all a moot point until we approach them.  We will work on a suggested revised treaty and address it as a group before we send anyone over.  For now, we need to focus on the things we can address.”  He turned to Sephiroth at that.  “We already have the team working on finding an alternate way into Deepground if the entrance in the lobby cannot be made usable.  Until that is completed I would ask that you assign groups to investigate the labs we have identified outside of Wutai.”

Sephiroth stood again with a nod.  “I will make sure we leave a team onsite in the chance that we do need to tackle Deepground soon, but I will have the teams ready to go by tomorrow.  Please send me the list of all known sites.”

Reeve nodded before he turned to the rest of the group.  “That is all we have for today.  I will set another meeting as soon as we have further details.”

Rufus was the first to stand and leave with Tseng following close behind again.  Clarissa watched him leave with a slight frown.  Genesis’ gaze matched hers as he turned back to her.  “It seems as if we will not be allowed as much time as I had hoped.”

She nodded her head as she looked passed him to Sephiroth.  “Do you know how many labs there are outside of Wutai?”

Sephiroth nodded to her absently.  “We have identified five across the globe with another two inside the borders of Wutai.  I would like to have one of us go for each of those labs, but we cannot leave headquarters undefended either.  I will let you know your assignments after I confirm the locations.”  She gave him a nod as they all filed out of the conference room.  She barely noticed that there were only scowls between them as they headed back to the Soldier floor.


	2. Thinking of Tomorrow

##  **Chapter 2**

After the meeting, all four Firsts went to various tasks.  No matter their coming assignments, they all had things to finish before they left.  Genesis and Angeal both went to tie up any loose ends with their troops and Sephiroth had to figure out who was going where.  It was doubly worse for him since Lazard was out of town for a few days.  He left to help the Turks with a mission, a fact that was strange to begin with, but he had been silent about the details.  The only reason the Firsts weren’t more worried was due to the fact that they already had full plates, as well as the fact that he said he needed to go as it was also a personal matter.  They quit trying to find out more when he refused to speak about it.  At least he was due to return the following day.  If he didn’t their situation could get worse.

Clarissa had not been left out.  She immediately headed to the Science Department with Shalua.  The scientist already had a team picked out to start trying to develop new power sources to phase out mako and she wanted Clarissa to meet them.  When they reached the 67th floor, Clarissa had to give Shalua a few minutes to gather the team.  While Clarissa waited she was happy to see that the whole feel of the place was different.  There were several people walking through the big lab she was waiting in, but none of them held anything questionable and most wore smiles.  The few that weren’t didn’t look anxious or grim, they just looked as if they were concentrating.  She was glad to see the last vestiges of the madman that had been the previous Head were all but gone, even the giant specimen tanks were gone.

She was drawn from her review of the changes when Shalua came back with three people in lab coats behind her.  They all gave her nods and smiles as they approached.  Shalua pointed to each in turn as she introduced them.  “Clarissa, this is Edgar, Maria, and Kiros.  They are the best suited from my team to develop several alternatives.  Maria in particular has the best understanding of how we currently use mako.  It will give you the best insight into how we can most efficiently change our current reactors.  We already understand that the upfront costs for the transition will be hard to sell so we want to not only find viable solutions, but solutions that are either the most cost effective or ones that we can implement in phases.  All that being said, please let me know if you need anything.  I will not be part of the team, but I will make sure you have anything you need that I can get.”

“Thank you.  Having all that laid out already makes it easier to identify what will work and what won’t.  I will try not to bother you but thank you for getting this set up!”  Clarissa gave the new Head a thankful nod.

“You’re welcome.  If you have this than I need to get back to work.”  Clarissa waved as the woman gave her a smile and walked back to a large table on the other side of the room.

Once she was gone she turned to the three scientists.  “Alright!  I will not have much time for the next two or three weeks at least, so let’s see what we can get started.”

“Follow me ma’am.  We have some diagrams laid out and a couple of possibilities based on some of the things we were told you suggested.  They are new concepts to us, so please don’t hesitate to let us know if they don’t look correct.”

She followed Edgar with the other two to one of the rooms that branched off the main lab.  It wasn’t large, but the table that took up the far wall was already covered in papers and small models.  When she got closer, she was glad to see a small windmill and what seemed to be model turbines.  She picked one of them up and smiled at the detail.  She turned to the others and held up the tiny turbine.  “It looks like you already have a great start.  I’m not sure that I will even be needed.”

“Thank you, but we could use some input.  Can you lay out exactly what you were talking about when you mentioned these to the directors?”

She nodded at the request and set the tiny machine down.  She motioned them all over to the table and it wasn’t long until the four of them got lost in a detailed conversation about the pros and cons of the many solutions, including fossil fuels and the possible pollutions each could cause as well as the cost for change.  Most of their conversation was in broad strokes, but by the time Clarissa heard her stomach growl she felt they had made good progress for only having worked together for an afternoon.

They all gave her brief smiles as she excused herself, but they were back to the blueprints before she was even out of the room.  She smiled at the sight as she walked away.  She felt a slight weight lift as she realized the future of their power solution was already in good hands.  She glanced around for Shalua as she left the labs but didn’t see her.  She didn’t look too hard though.  It was likely the scientist still had her hands full trying to make the science department something productive in a non-creepy way.

She stopped on the 61st floor to get something to eat before she went to see if Sephiroth had a solution yet.  She was surprised and pleased to find the three Firsts already there.  They were all absorbed in conversation and didn’t see her until she sat beside them with her meal.  They all wore grim looks, but Genesis’ softened slightly as she took her place by his side.  It didn’t last long though.  She ate quickly while Sephiroth explained the crux of what they were facing.  She wasn’t surprised to hear that the teams had already been created and she would be staying to guard headquarters.  As much as she didn’t like it, she understood his reasoning.  It wasn’t like she would not be busy.  With the other three being gone, running the entire military would fall to her and Lazard.  The thought was daunting, but she tried not to let it show.  Especially since she was more worried about what they would be facing in the abandoned labs.  She was also worried as both Zack and Kunsel would each be leading a team to the two closest labs.  She had no doubt they could handle themselves, but she worried for the same reasons.  They were her friends and she wanted them all back safe.

Once the overview was finished, the rest of the meal was spent in silence.  It wasn’t too late when they finished, but they all knew they had an early morning.  That all changed when Sephiroth spoke again.  He was hesitant when he called out to them, but his face was contemplative.  He looked at each of them in turn before he spoke.  “It has been months since we have had a proper spar.  Once we leave it could be another month or two before we have the opportunity again.  I think we should take the chance while we have it.”

At his words Genesis smiled for the first time since they left the meeting.  His smirk was contagious as Angeal quickly smiled as well.  Genesis looked to Clarissa quickly before he turned to Sephiroth.  “I believe you have actually come up with a wonderful idea.  I suppose it had to happen eventually.”

Clarissa had to laugh at his turn in mood.  She was glad to see his playful snark as it had been some time since she had seen it.  “Make sure you don’t destroy anything this time, alright?”

All three of the Soldiers turned to her.  It was Sephiroth that spoke.  “With you involved I would hazard a guess that it would not travel down that same path.”

She looked at him in confusion for a moment until Angeal spoke up.  “Our spars are for the Firsts to let off steam among other things.  You may be new to the position, but you are a First as well.  You can decline of course, but you will always be welcome to join us.”

She was taken by surprise.  She was sure there would be many things she had not expected to come with the position, but this was one that held special meaning.  When she finally found her voice again, she gave them a crooked smile.  “I wouldn’t miss it for anything.  I’m just not sure if I want to ask you all to not try to destroy me since it’s my first time or ask you to not hold back.  I suppose we’ll see how it goes.”

Genesis took her hand and gave it a squeeze before speaking.  “Starlight, you underestimate yourself.  You have managed to become quite the competent fighter.  The only thing we have that you don’t is experience.  In time, you will no longer consider it at all.”

She smiled and shook her head at him.  “While I think you may be slightly biased, especially since you were my instructor, I will try to keep that in mind.  For now, let’s go before it gets too late.”

She didn’t give them a chance to keep talking as she headed out and toward the elevators.  She had mixed emotions at the moment and didn’t want any of them to guess at it.  She was thrilled to truly be considered part of their tight group, but she also knew it was suggested in the first place because they weren’t going to be seeing each other for some time.  She wasn’t too worried that they couldn’t handle what was out there, but she didn’t like the idea of them each having to face unknown horrors alone.  Those thoughts she pushed down.  No matter if they were at different locations, none of them were truly alone anymore.  She just had to remind herself they all finally realized it too.

By the time they made it to the simulator she had managed to let go of all thoughts except her excitement.  She was glad that they didn’t choose to use the Sister Ray again, but she was still stunned when the area around them transformed into a hillside with the sun setting to one side and a grove of curved trees in the distance.  She turned to Genesis with a half-smile.  “Banora?”

He gave her a soft smile.  “Since both Angeal and I come from there, they agreed to make this for us.  I will state that they probably agreed in the hopes that we would keep the destruction to a minimum.”

Angeal interrupted with a laugh.  “It usually works too.  We tend to pay attention a little better.  I suppose psychology is good for something.”

Genesis gave him a brief glare, but he pointedly turned to face the sunset after grabbing Clarissa’s hand.  The other two stepped up next to them and watched it for a few moments in silence.  Genesis finally spoke.  “My friend, your desire is the bringer of life, the gift of the Goddess.”  He paused at that and looked to Clarissa before he continued.  “Even if the morrow is barren of promises, nothing shall forestall my return.”

Clarissa’s throat clenched at the obvious meaning in his eyes, but she gave him a nod before they turned to face the others.  They already had their swords out.  She gave them a crooked smile as she pulled her own swords from their sheaths.  Genesis caught her attention as he summoned Rapier.  “Do not let Sephiroth too close.”

She couldn’t hold in her laugh at his admonition.  “You know I can’t work effectively that way.”  She didn’t allow him the chance for a retort before she sprang forward.  It helped her keep her nerves at bay as well.  She had spared with both Genesis and Sephiroth before, but this would be entirely different.  This time was not for teaching.  She was happy to find that her nerves disappeared completely when her swords clashed with the Masamune and she looked up to see Sephiroth smiling.  She jumped back, and Genesis swung around her to clash with him as well.  After that, she didn’t think about anything except for her next move. 

They all faced Sephiroth at first, but it wasn’t long until she and Genesis formed a fighting unit.  One darting out to clash with one of their opponents while the other defended.  If anyone else had been watching they would have been awed at how seamlessly the two of them worked together, weaving under or over each other’s swings.  Once they started casting as well, it became a beautiful dance of ice and fire.  One to slip or slow and the other to blast their opponents away.  Neither were aiming to harm their friends, but they weren’t really pulling their punches either.  None of them were.  Clarissa found herself laughing at the rush as she clashed with Angeal before jumping back and catching the Masamune between her blades.  Their blades flashed in the fading sunlight across the hilltop, although there was much less damage than she remembered from the last spar she watched.  She laughed again as she remembered Angeal’s quip. 

By the time she started to feel her reserves finally draining, her limbs were starting to tire as well.  She caught Genesis’ eye as they landed after another coordinated attack.  She didn’t have to speak.  He jumped to clash with Sephiroth one last time before he jumped back and away.  Clarissa moved to his side and the others understood as well.  She was sure they could have kept going for some time, but they were wearing smiles when they walked over.  Seeing the three of them together and still smiling reminded her that everything had been more than worth it.  She was glad they had this opportunity before they all had to leave.

When they reached them Sephiroth spoke.  “You have improved greatly since the last time I was able to spar with you.  Although it has been several months.  If you keep it up, it won’t be long until you could go toe to toe with any of us.”

She gave him a half laugh.  “I plan on keeping at it, but something tells me I’m never going to be at quite that level.  That’s ok though.  As long as I’m good enough to protect those that need me to, then I’m good with that.”

Genesis huffed at her response.  “You don’t have nearly enough ambition.  Your goal should be to one day beat one of us.”

At his statement she nearly doubled over laughing.  When she straightened and managed to calm enough to respond she nearly started again at the glare he was giving her.  She shook her head at him.  “Not everything is about being the best.  I think we each have our strengths and that is enough.  I understand it might not be for you, but I won’t ever be that worried about it.”

He huffed again but his glare finally faded.  She smiled at him before turning to the others.  “Thank you for letting me join.  That was more fun than I thought it would be.”

Angeal shook his head at her before he spoke with a smile.  “We already told you that you earned your place here.  Don’t forget you are one of us now.”

She shook her head at him.  “It will take some time I suppose.  For tonight though, we should turn in.  We all have a long day tomorrow.”

Sephiroth gave her a nod and started to pull out his phone to dismiss the program.  Before he could, Genesis called out.  “Wait, there is one more thing I would like to do, and I would ask that you both remain.”

Sephiroth frowned slightly but he put his phone away.  Angeal joined him with a curious look.  Genesis turned to Clarissa and took her hand.  He led her a short distance away from the others to an area that overlooked a grove in the distance and that was mostly untouched.  There was a single dumbapple tree that had missed getting singed.  Once they were under the boughs he finally turned to her.  She was surprised to see him hesitant.  She reached out to him with a concerned look, but he merely took her hand.  After a few moments her concern turned to shock when he knelt in front of her.  He hadn’t even said anything yet, but she suddenly found her breath locked in her lungs.

He paused for a few moments and looked deeply into her eyes before he finally spoke.  “Before I met you I never thought about life outside of Soldier.  I had very few thoughts of what my future would be like.  That changed when you became a part of that life.  I now find myself often wondering what it would be like with you in it permanently.  The one thing that I am sure of is that I cannot picture any future without you in it.  No matter what has happened, you have been my guiding star, always leading me home.  That will never change.  Now, I want the rest of the world to know how much you mean to me.  Starlight, will you do me the honor of becoming my wife?”

Clarissa could feel the tears on her cheeks, but she couldn’t find her voice.  She wanted so desperately to scream out ‘yes!’, but something was stopping her.  She found herself on her knees in front of him as she clasped his hands tightly.  When she finally cleared her throat enough to speak, her voice still trembled.  “Genesis, I love you more than I could ever express, and I want to say yes, but…”

His gaze started to close off at her response.  His voice was still full of passion though.  “But?  If you want to, why would you not?”

She reached up and cupped his cheek.  Her tears kept falling because she was breaking her own heart as she spoke.  “We still have so much to face.  There is no telling what will happen.  It wouldn’t be fair of me to say yes when things are so uncertain.”

At her words he finally smiled again.  He pulled her into a tight hug and spoke into her hair.  “That is all the more reason to agree.  We should take what we can while we have the chance.  If you say yes, I can make it happen as soon as I return.  No matter how short or long the rest of my life is, I want you to be by my side.”

She couldn’t hold in a sob as she answered.  “Yes!  Genesis, yes.  I will be your wife.”

He pulled her in tighter for a moment before he loosened his grip enough so that he could pull something from an inside pocket of his jacket.  He opened the tiny box and took out a ring that he placed on her left hand.  She could barely see it through her tears, but it was enough to notice it was beautiful.  It was white gold with a ruby in the center.  When she could see it clearly, she smiled.  It was two hands holding a heart with a crown on top.  He had given her a claddagh.  When she looked up again, he kissed her briefly before he spoke again.  “It was my grandmother’s.  My mother gave it to me when we were in Banora.  She told me then that it was supposed to go to me when I found the person worth giving it to.  I knew then that I would give it to you, but I suppose I am just as stubborn as you.”

She laughed at his quip before she looked back down to it.  Her gaze was more serious when she looked back up.  “This is an important heirloom-“

He didn’t allow her to finish her question.  “And I am certain.  More certain than I have ever been about anything before.”

She smiled at him and gave him a nod.  She couldn’t have spoken anyway as she was trying to swallow down another knot.  Finally, he stood and helped her back to her feet.  He put an arm around her waist as he led her back to where the other two were still waiting with the largest smiles she had ever seen either of them wearing.  Angeal was the first to speak.  “Well, I suppose this means that you are smarter than I gave you credit for.”

Genesis glared at his teasing but didn’t pull away when Angeal pulled him in for a hug and clasped him on the back.  “Congratulations.  You both deserve a little happiness.”

Sephiroth was not nearly as dramatic but he still gave Clarissa a brief hug and Genesis a handshake while still smiling.  “This will be a first for the Soldier program, but I’m glad you will find happiness together.”

They all laughed as they realized what he meant.  It was already unusual to have two members of Soldier dating, but them getting married was likely to cause a splash.  That was something they could think about later though.  Angeal moved to pull Clarissa into a hug as well.  His voice was quiet as he spoke.  “I know you will be good for him.  Take care of him for me.”

She pulled back and smiled through her tears.  “You don’t even need to ask.”

They all stood around for a short while later talking about the possibilities, but it wasn’t long before Genesis moved to leave.  “We have been delayed enough.  Clarissa was correct in that we have an early day.  Until the morrow.”  He didn’t pause as he pulled Clarissa along with him and left as soon as the program ended.  Both his friends watched them leave with smiles.

* * *

 

Genesis and Clarissa had not gone straight to sleep, even though they both knew the next day would be early and long.  Neither really cared, as they both wanted to draw out the evening to last as long as they could.

Clarissa had finally succumbed to sleep, but Genesis was still awake and watching his fiancé as she curled closer to him.  He smiled as his gaze caught on the ring that flashed in the moonlight.  He moved slowly and stood to cross the room.  He pulled his well-loved copy of Loveless from its special pocket, but instead of reading it, he pulled out a folded piece of paper.  When he opened it, he noted that the words were starting to fade a little along the folds.  He wasn’t surprised.  He had not brought it up to her since the ordeal in Nibelheim, but he read it often. 

As fascinated as he was by the Fifth Act that she claimed he created, it was more a reminder of how close he had come to losing her.  That was something that he never wanted repeated and he planned on doing whatever it took to make sure there would never be another recurrence.  Despite the way his heart clenched at the memory he still smiled down at her sleeping form as she reached out to his empty side of the bed.  His smile widened as she felt around and sat up when her hand felt air.  When she turned her widened eyes towards him, they cleared, and she smiled back.

Her gaze darkened slightly as she noticed what he was holding, but he didn’t allow her to say anything.  He quickly placed it back into Loveless and placed it on the bedside table before he sank back into the bed and pulled her down with him.  “Love, we have a lifetime to fill.  Don’t let the past mar it.  I want to fill your tomorrows with joy.”

She gave him a half-smile that was caught up in his kiss.  She let go of her worry as he rolled them over and their kisses turned heated once again.  Her last thoughts before she got lost in his heat were of the fact that they were both focused on ensuring they would be able to greet many tomorrows together.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Two things, first, I know the chapter ended a little bit sappy, but given what it was, I really tried to make it special for them. Also, I know my action scene left a lot to be desired. Action scenes are the bane of my existence and I can never get them to come out like I see them in my head. If anyone has any constructive feedback for those in particular I am all ears. For now, I hope it was still enjoyable. Thanks for reading!


	3. Proof

##  **Chapter 3**

The next morning Clarissa accompanied Genesis and the rest of the Soldiers to the garage.  Each team was made up of three Soldiers and a dozen infantry so going by helicopter was not feasible.  She had already spoken with Sephiroth and Angeal about the things that would be needed while they were gone, as well as talked to Kunsel and Zack briefly to wish them good luck.  There were three bases on the Western Continent that would be handled by the Firsts, so the two that were on the Eastern Continent would be handled by the two Seconds.  None of the locations would take more than a week to reach, even by truck, but given the fact that they had no idea what they would find, they fully expected to be gone a minimum of a month.  It was mostly because they were expected to not only handle any threats, but also assess anything that might have been left behind and either bring it back or destroy it as necessary.  It wasn’t surprising they were expecting extended stays. 

Once she had wished everyone else good luck, she turned back to Genesis.  Most of his team was already loaded and she had been surprised to see Rodney among them.  She supposed it made sense as they had worked together previously, sort of.  She had given him a wave and a smile before Genesis pulled her off to the side.  He had noticed that she wasn’t wearing her gloves and smiled as he pulled up her left hand and kissed her fingers before speaking.  “I will be back as quickly as I can be, so I want you to start planning.  As soon as I know when I will be back I will set up a venue.  In the meantime, decide what you want, and I will get the arrangements made.”

She shook her head at him with a smile.  “You won’t have time to deal with that kind of stuff.  We can wait until you are back.”

His gaze hardened slightly but his tone was still soft.  “It is a matter of priorities and this is important to me.  If you need input, I will be a phone call away.  I know you will be busy as well, so I have a few people I can contact that will take care of everything once you tell them what you want.”

She gave him an incredulous look.  “You’re serious, aren’t you?”

He smirked at her tone.  “Yes.  It shouldn’t surprise you by now that once I’ve made up my mind I don’t hesitate to go after it.”

She laughed at him.  “Fine, have them call me and I’ll try to get it together in my spare time.  Expect a few phone calls though.  It will be our wedding after all, not just mine.”

He kissed her forehead and smiled down at her.  “I trust your judgement.”

“Uh, uh.  You won’t be getting off that easy. You may have the means to make it happen quickly, but you will be part of it.”  She knew this whole conversation was based on the fact that neither of them wanted to say goodbye and they were both prolonging it.  She finally looked around and noticed that Genesis was the only one not in a truck, as well as the fact that many of the troops were watching, along with Angeal and Sephiroth.  She was glad to see them smiling at the pair instead of looking impatient, but she knew she couldn’t stall any longer.  She squeezed Genesis’ hand before she spoke in a softer voice.  “I’ll call when I can, but don’t feel like you have to answer if you’re busy.  I’ll be here waiting when you come back, so come back in one piece please.”

His gaze softened at her request.  “Even if the morrow is barren of promises, nothing shall forestall my return.  Armed with the knowledge that you will be here, nothing could stop me from returning.”

She smiled at his dramatics, but it was caught up in his searing kiss.  When he finally pulled back, she had to catch her breath.  She had forgotten they were being watched until several hoots reached her ears.  She blushed and glared at no one in particular as he smiled down at her.  “I suppose this is a good start, but the whole world will know soon enough.”

She shook her head at his proclamation.  “Go, before they get tired of being voyeurs and drag you off.”

He laughed lightly at her tone before kissing her quickly again and turning to join the rest of his troops.  She watched as they all finally drove off before she turned and headed back to the office she had just been assigned.  As worried as she was about them, she knew she had plenty to keep her busy, especially as Lazard was not back.  She wasn’t worried, as today was the due date for his return, but she was a little apprehensive at the fact that she was going to need to organize the remaining troops for security and patrols.  Keeping Midgar safe was just as important as finding out what the enemy planned next.

* * *

 

She sent out a message to all remaining troops to assemble by 12:00.    That gave her an opportunity to go over assignments and have them ready by then.  It was rushed, but she felt it was important to finish quickly.  She didn’t want to take the chance that Avalanche might find out and take advantage of the city being undermanned.  Although the remaining troops were mostly infantry, their goal was all the same, so she saw no point in separating them for the announcement.  She had already assigned a couple of Seconds to help with assignments and they were on the platform with her as everyone started filing in.  She watched in silence as they all lined up according to their rank.  She knew most of the Soldiers, by face if not by name, but most of the infantry were still strangers.  She did smile slightly when she saw Cloud walk in with a small group of trainees.  They wouldn’t be getting any assignments, but in all other aspects they were treated the same as the rest of the military.

Once everyone was in the room and standing at attention she stood and looked out over the crowd.  She had never had to address such a large number of people, but she reminded herself she was responsible for them all now. She also reminded herself that she had faced off against a murderous alien and managed to walk away alive, if not unscathed.  If she could do that, then coordinating these men should be no problem.  The room had settled into silence as she stood, so she took a deep breath to control her nerves and addressed them all.  “Everyone should already be aware that Shinra has recently gone through some drastic changes.  I will not go into them all, as I am sure none of you need me to.  However, I do need to talk to you all about what we are facing.  With the war over and everyone looking to a brighter and more peaceful future, we initially wanted to turn our gazes toward building better relationships across the globe.  We have found out that not everyone shares that goal and there are a group of people that want to destroy everything that has been built.”

“I am sure most of you are already aware that we sent out several teams this morning to mitigate some of the possible damage.  For those of us that remain, it will be up to us to keep the city safe.  That includes patrolling the streets and the slums along with increased guard around headquarters.  I do not want the citizens to feel as if we are descending into a military state though.  We need to show everyone that Shinra will be there to protect.  I have already assigned teams with one soldier and four infantrymen each.  Each team will be set a location and schedule.  This will not only give us the opportunity to prove that Shinra has everyone’s best interest in mind, but also will allow us to truly start working as one unit.  This is an exciting time for all of us as we will be the front line in shaping the future.  Once you have your assignments, I want you all to show me that you all have what it takes to prove we are nothing but the best.”

Once she was done with her speech she was gratified to see most of the troops looked positive.  There were a few that seemed disgruntled, but she made note of their faces and moved on.  As long as they followed orders she had no reason to confront them about it.  The two Seconds that were on the stage moved forward at that point and started calling out the rosters.  The Soldiers and infantrymen started moving as their groups were formed.  She could already tell there were some tensions between the groups.  She wasn’t sure if they would get worse or better in the coming days, but that was just one of the things she would have to deal with.

Once all the groups were assembled she spoke up again.  “Now that you have all met your teams I will ask that the commanding officer for each squad become familiar with your schedules and make sure the rest of your team is briefed.  You will be receiving them via email within the hour.  Some of you will be starting as soon as this afternoon, so make sure you have your team’s information.  For the rest of you, take the time to familiarize yourselves with your teammates and your schedules.  These will remain in effect until further notice.”  She looked over the assembled group once more.  “If you all understand your orders, then you are dismissed.”

There was a chorus of “Yes ma’am” as the Soldiers saluted before they all started to file out.  She started to head out the door behind the stage when she caught sight of a disturbance in the middle of the room.  There were several Soldiers that had stayed behind and seemed to all be talking in hushed voices.  She paused to see if she could hear what was being said.  Her brows drew down at the bits and pieces she was able to hear.  ‘– don’t care.  I won’t- ‘, ‘can’t act like- ‘.

What she was able to hear was enough to know that there was at least one person that was getting ready to start something.  She didn’t hesitate to head their direction.  They hadn’t noticed her yet so when she got closer she was able to get a better understanding of what was going on.  There were two groups, one of which was being led by a young man that was being vocal in his displeasure about having to answer to her.  The other was trying to convince him that he didn’t want to start anything.  She had to bite her tongue to keep from saying something harsh at what she heard right before she interrupted.  “I don’t care if you say she was a war hero or not, you can’t deny that they only reason she got to be First is because she’s fucking the Crimson Commander.”

She heard several of the others trying to speak at once after his comment, but all talking ceased when she spoke up.  “While I have no problem with you coming to me with your concerns, I will not tolerate disparaging comments or dissention.  That goes for any of you.”

Both groups practically jumped away from each other at her hard tone, but the man that had been speaking originally gave her a sneer.  His sarcasm was clear when he spoke.  “Excuse me, _ma’am_.  It isn’t disparaging if it’s true.”

One of the others that she recognized from her team from Wutai gave him a hard look as he spoke up.  “You have no idea what you’re talking about.  You weren’t there, but I was.  You don’t want to do this.”

She turned her hard gaze to the man that had spoken up and he stepped back quickly with a mumbled apology.  “Sorry ma’am.  No dissention, right.”

She gave him a nod, but her gaze was still hard when she turned back to the one that had started the issue.  She stared at him without a change in her stance until he started to fidget slightly.  When she saw that she finally spoke.  “I am sure you are aware that I could have you court martialed for the slander you started to say.  However, I will give you an opportunity to prove to me why you feel you are better qualified since you seem to have such strong opinions.”

She had noticed that several of the others had come back in the room by this time and there was a large gathering of people, both Soldier and infantry that was lining the walls of the large room.  Even though it was noted, she ignored them in favor of watching the Soldier that was calling her command into question.  He gave her a nasty grin before he spoke.  “That’s generous of you, _ma’am._  What happens when I prove you aren’t fit for command?”

Her gaze didn’t flinch when she responded.  “This will end one of two ways.  Either you will apologize and be put on probation for conduct unbecoming a Soldier, or you will do so after you are removed on a stretcher.  No matter what your personal feelings are, you are a Soldier and should always exemplify that.  If you have concerns, you should have come to me directly instead of starting dissention in the ranks.”

Most of the Soldiers surrounding the man had started to fall back.  The other group had already gone to join the throng against the wall.  She hated the fact that this had happened in such a populated area, but she knew she couldn’t show any weakness.  She had learned in the last year that these men respected strength and she had managed to gain the respect of many of them.  However, she had not worked with everyone yet.  She understood that it was not surprising for some of them to question her, especially with the fact that she ended up sleeping with her mentor.  That didn’t mean she could ignore it like she had when she was a cadet.  Keeping these men together, and on a better path than when they had been under a darker directive, was one of her most important roles.  She couldn’t do that if they were divided or unable to respect her. 

The Soldier that had been speaking had been flabbergasted momentarily, but it didn’t take him long to find his voice again.  “Pardon me, but that’s bullshit.  You haven’t even been a Soldier for more than a year.  Those of us that have been around awhile are not only more qualified, but to put it bluntly, we’re better.  The Commander isn’t here to back you up anymore.”

There were varied reactions across the gathered group, but she ignored them.  She also didn’t lose her glare.  “I have no need for backup from anyone.  I also have no need to discuss my personal life with you.  I will however state that you are way out of line.  It’s your choice.  Apologize and walk away or face the consequences.”

Despite the fact that several of the men that had been with him tried to hurriedly talk to him, he ignored them and took a step closer to her.  “So, are you all talk?  I thought so.”

She shook her head at him as she pulled her gloves from one of her pockets.  She gave him another glare as she pulled them on.  “Don’t complain when you can’t walk for a week.”

The man had pulled his sword out before she had even finished pulling her gloves on.  He thought he would be able to attack her before she was ready, but she was already behind him by the time he had finished his swing.  After having to try to keep up with the other Firsts, there was no way a Second could be nearly as fast.  She didn’t strike out right away though, even though she had her swords out.  She gave him the time to realize where she was and turn to her.  He still wore a sneer, but she could see it was faltering slightly.  As much as she hoped that meant he was rethinking his attitude, she doubted it.

She shook her head at him when he lunged again.  This time she dodged and struck out with the flat of one of her blades.  It struck him across the cheek hard and caused a slight cut.  Nothing major, but enough for him to know she had already gotten under his guard.  He quickly wiped the blood away and turned to her with vengeance in his eyes. 

She gritted her teeth at how stubborn he was as she continued to dodge.  Each time she did, she struck out and either left a bruise or a slight cut.  She wasn’t trying to injure him, and it quickly became apparent to the gathered watchers that she was trying to dissuade him from continuing.  All her strikes had been precise.  After a dozen more she finally called out to him.  “I don’t want to be a man down for a week because you are too stubborn to admit you’re bested.  Back down now and face probation, or you will have worse than probation and a trip to the infirmary.”

She could tell that her words only served to piss him off more.  She briefly wondered if it would be best for him to be discharged anyway.  If he lost his mind to his temper so easily, he would never be effective under the types of circumstances Soldiers were supposed to be able to face.  She wondered how he had made it out of Wutai.

When he lunged at her again, she realized there was only one way for her to stop him without injuring him to the point that he really would be out for a week.  She didn’t bother dodging his last blow, instead she caught his blade on one of hers and held it with no problem while she struck out with the other so fast that even the enhanced had a hard time following it.  He didn’t even get a chance to fully realize his predicament before the flat of her blade hit across his temple.  She pulled her strike so that it would only knock him out instead of busting his head open, but it still made a sickening crunch as it hit.  He was out cold before he even hit the floor.

She wasn’t even breathing hard when she sheathed her swords and pulled out her phone.  The silence remained as she ordered the medics to come and retrieve the downed Soldier.  When she was finished she turned to see the assembled group staring at her with looks ranging from awe to contrition, even the ones that had been standing with the downed Soldier.  She didn’t have to raise her voice when she spoke, but everyone moved quickly at her command.  “I have already given your orders.  Unless there are more that are interested in a court martial I expect you to already be carrying them out!”

It didn’t take long for the room to empty other than the medics and the two Soldiers that she had assisting her with the schedules.  When she turned to them, they each saluted smartly before falling in with her as she headed back to her office.  She hated that the whole debacle had happened at all, but at least it happened early, so hopefully the rest of the military would get over it and move on to more important matters.

* * *

 

Cloud had been pulled back into the meeting room with the rest of the trainees as they realized what was happening.  He felt bad that Clarissa had to deal with it in the first place, but none of his classmates really believed him when he told them she earned her place.  He had seen her spar with Zack on a few occasions and watching the two of them was like watching a natural disaster.  There was no way she didn’t deserve her post, no matter how much she didn’t like to talk about it.

He cringed back as the Soldier started attacking but it wasn’t long until all those around him were stunned into silence.  He knew he shouldn’t have, but he couldn’t hold in his grin when he realized she was holding back, and it was painfully obvious to everyone in the room. 

When she called out her last warning, he hoped the man would take it.  If he continued pushing, he really might not be able to walk away.  When the man ignored her and attacked again there was a collective gasp as Clarissa practically disappeared she was moving so fast.  The Soldier had already started to crumple to the floor when the sound of her strike reached them.

Part of him was glad that it was over and there was no more talk about whether she deserved her post or not, but the rest was terrified.  He had always known that she was powerful but seeing it in such a way did not make him want to ever go up against her.  She always encouraged him to push himself so that he could one day surpass her maybe but seeing her today made him hope he never had to try.  He found that although he liked her, he had a healthy respect for her that paralleled the rest of the Firsts.  He was glad that she was only terrifying when she was holding her swords.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know Clarissa has had to prove herself once before, but becoming a Soldier and (even temporarily) running the entire military are two different things, especially since there are no other females in Soldier at least. We had to know that even though the higher ups are alright with Gen and Lissa, there would be some push back from people that don't know them as well. Even though Clarissa doesn't need Genesis' help, let's hope the mouthy Soldier makes himself scarce when Genesis does find out :) I hope you enjoyed. Let me know what you think and thank you for reading!


	4. Chasing Phantoms

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I would like to apologize for it being nearly a month since my last update. Things have been a bit hectic, but I will hopefully be able to update sooner for the next chapter. I will not be abandoning this though, so don't worry. For now, please enjoy!

##  **Chapter 4**

It hadn’t even been a full day yet and Genesis had to work at keeping a glare off his face.  He did let a smirk grace his face when he noticed several people move quickly to get out of his sight.  They had stopped for the night and camp was already set up.  He was trying to walk off his excess irritation before he tried to face his empty cot.  He had gotten far too used to having another person in his bed and was looking forward to the cot even less than normal.

His irritation wasn’t helped by the fact that Kunsel had already started looking into the first site as it had only been a few hours outside of Midgar.  It would have been bad had there been monsters, but it was worse that it was empty.  His initial report had been skeptical, but after a thorough sweep, they still had not turned up anything, not even traces of what might have been done there.  That fact had everyone on edge, since they had no way of knowing if it had been cleared at some point by Hojo, or if Avalanche had beaten them there.  That thought was not a comfort inducing one by any means.

Genesis had left Angeal going over the remaining details with Sephiroth.  He knew none of it was new information, so he saw no point in staying and losing his temper at his friends when it really wasn’t their fault he was irritated.  He wished, not for the first time, that he could bring Hojo back, just so he could kill him once more.  Both Hojo and Hollander were proving to be more trouble than they were worth.

He had just passed by a group of troops that included one of the Soldiers from his own contingent.  He didn’t really care what they were so intent on and had planned to keep going and ignore them, but his attention was caught by an all too familiar voice.  He wasn’t sure why he heard his fiancé’s voice coming from the huddled group, but he planned on finding out.

He immediately did an about face and headed back to where they were gathered.  One of the Soldiers caught sight of him before he drew even with them and hurriedly moved to put something up, before they all turned to him with wide eyes.  The one that had sighted him first was the first to speak.  “C-commander, is there something we can do for you this evening?”

“Why did I hear Lieutenant Commander Williamson’s voice just now?”  Genesis’ voice was even but his hard tone was clear. 

The gathered men looked visibly nervous before the one from his division finally answered.  “It was nothing important sir.  Some of the men back at headquarters just shared a video of how her first day went.  Her speech to them was supposed to have been pretty awe inspiring, sir.”

Genesis narrowed his eyes at the man.  He could tell he was lying but wasn’t sure of the reason.  Finally, he took a step closer and let his infamous glare loose.  The men shifted slightly when he spoke.  “I’m not sure what you are hiding, but you _will_ show me now.”

None of them moved for a few moments.  Genesis took another step forward before the same one that spoke up stood and held something out to him.  Genesis gave him one last glare before he took the man’s phone.  They all stood in awkward silence as he started it over and watched from the beginning.  He watched it once more before he carefully handed the phone back.  He had almost crushed it, but knew it wasn’t his troop’s fault.  He finally managed to speak through gritted teeth.  “Why were you hiding this?  Was there anything else?”

Several of the men shifted nervously but the same man stepped forward again.  “Commander, I apologize for trying to hide it.  I only thought that she handled it well and I didn’t want you to get upset for no reason.”

Genesis felt the flames trying to ignite in his palms, but he pushed the feeling down.  Even he could understand that the man had been correct in the assumption that he would lose his temper.  There had been spotty sound with the video, so he had no idea why she was fighting one of the Soldiers, but it had been apparent that it had been a one-sided fight.  That much at least had him smirking.  He finally managed to calm enough to speak normally.  “That doesn’t tell me what happened.  Was there anything in addition to the video?”

There was complete silence for several moments before the man spoke up again.  “Ah, yes sir.  Apparently, the Soldier she was fighting had called her right to command into question in front of several others.  He claimed that the only reason she made First, was because… well… because she is… um… sleeping with you, sir.”

Genesis felt his palms heat again, but the man spoke quickly.  “The message we got said that he’s still in the infirmary, but he will be on probation when he is released.  It was obvious that no one else will think to ask that again.”

Genesis understood why the man had let him know the last, and part of him understood why some people might make that connection.  He also knew that she didn’t need his help, but that didn’t stop him from wishing he was able to ‘talk’ to the stupid Soldier as well.  He took a deep breath through his nose to calm his temper before he spoke again.  He still wore a glare when he spoke though.  “Thank you for showing me.  However, delete that video and make sure it is not passed around again.  If I see it again there will be repercussions that will not be enjoyable for anyone but me.”

 Everyone in the small group saluted and Genesis watched for a moment longer as the man moved to follow orders.  Once he was certain that his orders were followed, he turned to stalk back to his tent. 

* * *

 

Clarissa rubbed her temples as she tried to focus on the computer screen again.  The headache she was fighting had been trying to take over for the last couple of hours, but she wasn’t ready to give up and head to bed.  There was so much that still needed to be done.  Her situation wasn’t helped by the fact that Lazard had not made it back.  At least he had been considerate enough to send a message to say he was on his way and would be there in two days.  She wasn’t looking forward to taking care of this alone for the next two days, but she knew there was no other alternative.

She had already sent the Soldiers she had helping her away several hours before.  She looked to the clock and realized that it was far passed time for her to turn in.  She glared at her screen once more before she decided to go ahead and turn in.  The paperwork wasn’t going anywhere.  She could tackle it again in the morning.  She turned her computer off, but before it was finished her phone rang.  She glared into space as she grabbed it out of her pocket.  It dissolved into a soft smile though when she saw the name that the number belonged to.  It carried in her voice when she answered.  “Hello Love.  I wasn’t expecting you to call tonight.  It’s late.”

Her brow furrowed at his tone when he answered, but his words had her glaring.  “I had hoped you would have had the opportunity to call me earlier actually, but I just saw something that made me decide to call.  It seems as though you have had quite the day.  Were you planning on sharing it with me?”

She snorted before she answered.  “I guess that means you found out about the scuffle this morning?  If so, don’t worry about it.  The Soldier has been put on probation until he decides he can apologize for causing dissention.  I will not tolerate divisiveness when we are trying to rebuild.”

There was silence on the other end of the line for a few moments.  When he spoke again, she rolled her eyes at his quiet angry voice.  “Divisiveness?  Not the fact that he called your command and the judgement of all the Firsts and our Director into question?”

“No, I’m surprised it took this long for someone to say something, especially since I started as a Second.  We can’t control people’s thoughts, but at least this was easy to handle.  There will be no more questions about it; at least not where I can hear them.  If there are then I will handle it.  That is really the least of our problems right now.”

She smiled at the slight growl she could hear.  It was easy for her to picture his scowl as he answered.  “There is no reason for such insubordination.  Because of the illusion of bias, I was not allowed very much say in any of your promotions.”

She laughed at his indignation on her behalf.  Even though it wasn’t necessary, it made her feel a little less stressed.  “You and I both know that you have hardly ever been biased.  Especially when it comes to training me.  There were times I wished you would have been, but I know I learned more than I would have otherwise.  I’m not going to let it bother me, so there is no reason for you to be upset on my behalf.  This constant paperwork is a much bigger headache.”

He huffed when she laughed but he couldn’t hold back a slight smile at the sound.  Despite how stressed he was sure she had been, the fact that she was still able to laugh reminded him that she was stronger than many people gave her credit for, in more ways than one.  His tone was much softer as he pictured her smile.  “Fine, I will not bring it up again, but I do expect you to not keep things like this from me.”

She chuckled at his insistence.  “I will try to remember.  Honestly, there are many more important things on my mind.”  She paused, and he could hear the shuffle of papers before she continued.  “By the way, speaking of things that are more important; I haven’t been able to spend much time thinking about the request you left with me, but I do have one question.  How do feel about having red dahlias instead of roses?”

He was silent for several moments at her sudden switch of topic.  When he finally understood her question, he smiled for the first time since they had separated that morning.  “There is no hate, only joy, for you are beloved by the Goddess.  I had not expected you to have time to think on it so soon, but the idea sounds lovely.  I will contact the organizers tomorrow while we travel.  Expect a call from them soon.”

She smiled when she heard the smile in his voice.  “Alright.  I will ask that you don’t expect it to go too fast.  Lazard won’t be back for a few more days so I’m going to have my hands full.”

Genesis felt his smile falter at her words.  “He didn’t come back today?”

“No, but it isn’t too bad.  He did send a message that he was on the way back, so I won’t have to handle it alone for too long.  Don’t let it worry you.  I have it under control.”

It was at that point that Genesis realized the sound of paper he had heard meant she was still in her office and he scowled again.  “You are still working, aren’t you?”

She laughed at his tone again.  “I told you not to worry about me.  You have plenty to focus on too.  I’ve got this.  And before you say anything, I am headed to bed right now.  That is something that you might consider as well, since I am sure you will be up just as early.”

He wasn’t sure if he was more upset at the fact that she was already overworking or chagrined at the fact that she preempted his scolding for it.  He huffed as he realized no matter his thoughts on the matter, she was going to do what she felt was right.  It infuriated him at times, but her drive to follow her heart was one of the things he had fallen for.  “I will not scold you, but please take enough time to take care of yourself too.  You have to remember that if you fall for any reason, there could be chaos until we return.  As for me, I am already headed to sleep.  I wanted to speak with you before I laid down.”

She smiled at his reminder.  She was thankful that he had started to curb his protectiveness somewhat, but it made her feel better knowing he cared enough to bring it up in the first place.  “I won’t forget.”  She paused and tried to picture his face once more.  Her smile was a little strained when she spoke again.  “I love you Gen.  Please take care and come back safe.”

He could hear the strain she tried to hide but didn’t mention it.  “I love you too.  Now sleep.  I will speak with you again tomorrow.”

“Yes, sir.”  She smirked as she visualized his response.  He had always hated it when she called him sir.

He growled at her intentional provocation.  “Only you would think it would be safe to mock me.”

She smiled at his tone.  She knew they were both putting off saying goodbye, but neither of them could afford to stay up longer than was necessary.  She sighed as she answered.  “You know I’m not mocking you.  I know you know I respect you more than that.  We do need to get off though.  I’ll try to call when I have time.  Goodnight love.”

There was a pause on the other end before he finally spoke softly.  “Goodnight Starlight.  I will dream of you.”

She knew she would be dreaming of him as well.  “Me too.  Now go sleep so you can join me.”

He chuckled lightly at her tone.  He didn’t want to say goodbye, but he knew they both needed sleep.  “Until the morrow then.  Sleep well.”

“You too.”  As much as she didn’t want to, she finally hung up the phone.  She knew neither of them wanted to say goodbye.  She looked at the silent phone for a few moments before she stood and headed back to their apartment.  She was not looking forward to sleeping in their bed alone, but she knew it wouldn’t be the last time.  It was a fact they would have to deal with for a long time to come.  Thoughts of his arms around her were the only thing cradling her when she finally fell into sleep.

* * *

 

Zack had left the caravan that was headed toward Junon several hours back.  He was headed to the second lab on the Eastern Continent.  Kunsel had taken the first one closest to Midgar.  He had already sent his initial reports, and everyone was antsy at the fact that the place had appeared empty.  That made Zack wonder what he would be headed into.  They had all been briefed on what they might encounter, and he still felt nauseous thinking about some of the things he had been told.

He was currently doing squats in the back of one of the trucks, trying to keep his mind from dwelling on the images too much.  He finally understood the contempt that all the Firsts showed for the science department, or at least the old science department.  He didn’t know everything, but from what he was told, things had really changed since both Hojo and Hollander had disappeared.  He hoped things never went back to that way if the things he was told were any indication.

He was pulled out of his thoughts by a shout from one of his Soldiers.  They had finally arrived.  He was jumping from the back of the truck before it even came to a complete stop.  He looked around and spotted the entrance in the side of one of the hills.  It was almost hidden, but he could make it out well enough to know that it was a choke point.  They would have to be careful when they entered. 

He had everyone gather and had one of the other two Soldiers right behind him with the infantry behind and the third Soldier taking rear guard in case they were ambushed.  Zack was ready to kick the door in and barrel into the building, but a slight breeze blew it open a few inches.  That instantly had his hackles raised.  Whether it was Avalanche or the monsters that had been locked up, they were going into a dangerous situation blind.  He took a deep breath and flung the door open and quickly followed the motion with a fireball that should have cleared the entranceway at least.  He sent up a brief thanks for all the hell he went through with Genesis when his fireball was large enough to fill the whole hall as it screamed out of sight and disappeared.

He counted to ten and then quickly followed after it.  The footsteps of the dozen troops that followed him echoed off the walls as they all rushed into the compound.  The hall went on for more than a hundred meters before it finally opened up into a large room.  Zack didn’t have the chance to do much when he entered as he barely had the chance to dodge a fireball from someone on the other side of the room.  Luckily it had missed the troops that had stopped behind him.

When he stood from his roll, he glared over at a half dozen men.  The one that had presumably thrown the first fireball had another one ready.  It was easy for him to dodge it as he ran towards them.  He barely registered the sound of the rest of his men following close behind.  He barely noted them surround the others as his focus was on the fire wielder. 

He was surprised when the man was able to deflect some of his blows with his bare hands, and even further surprised when one of the others jumped in as well.  Even though they were outnumbered, he could tell that most of the small group they were up against were not normal.  He took a moment to look around and realized none of them made a sound, not even when they were struck.  His stomach soured as he realized they must have been the Ravens he had been told about.  It sickened him to think about what had been done to them.  It also hadn’t escaped his notice that one of the men had made his way out of the fighting and was trying to escape.

He tried to lunge for the man, but he barely missed a punch to the face as he dodged his opponent at the last minute.  His opponent didn’t blink when the man that was leaving called out.  “Shears, take care of this.  I will meet you at the rendezvous point.”

The man in front of him glowered at the retreating form, but he didn’t object.  Instead he moved to intercept Zack again.  Even though he was focused on the man once more, he was still able to notice that the others were finally able to overcome the Ravens and they were pushing the small group back.  He grinned a little cockily when the man finally jumped back and away.  He moved to follow immediately but had to dodge another incoming fireball.  It gave the man a chance to head to one of the other tunnels shooting off from the large room.  He looked back with a smirk before speaking.  “I hate to stop before we really get started, but we have what we came for.  I was gonna put the rest out of their misery, but I suppose you will have to take care of that instead.  Enjoy.”

Zack tried to chase him down, but the man collapsed the tunnel behind him as he ran.  The Second had to bite back a curse as the dust cleared.  He knew they would need to clear it out anyway, but by the time they had, the man would be long gone.  He turned back with a scowl.  At least the rest were relatively unscathed as well.

It didn’t take him long to have them take care of the downed Ravens and then break into three groups to start tackling the rest of the building.  He wasn’t sure if he could take the man, Shears, at his word, but he wasn’t going to take any chances.  He made sure everyone was prepared in case they ended up running into monsters.

He scowled again as he led the first group down the first hallway.  His senses were already on high alert, so when they encountered the first monsters, he wasn’t surprised.  He was disgusted by the things they saw, but it was mercy to put those abominations out of their misery.  That was one thing the man had been right about at least.  It didn’t take him long to discover that it wasn’t the only thing.  The monsters were the only thing left in the building.  Any trace of what might have been going on otherwise, was long gone.


	5. Appeasements

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know there is something revealed in this chapter that might be shocking but it is my interpretation of a possibility, and I hope you enjoy it. Please let me know what you think!

##  **Chapter 5**

It was only her second day of taking care of things, and Clarissa wanted to pull her hair out.  Things were tense between the two branches of the military now that they had been merged and she had already had to deal with one group that refused to work with each other.  She had conflicting stories from each side, so she was thankful that they at least had some witnesses.  The trainees had been drilling nearby.  Although most of them wanted to go for Soldier, they were a little less biased.  It was only because that they knew if they didn’t make it, they didn’t want to be in the infantry and treated the way they saw the group assigned to that particular Soldier had been.

Unfortunately, that meant that she was now down by two teams.  She had two Soldiers on probation and unable to perform their usual duties.  She was ecstatic when Kunsel returned.  They had left a team behind to continue searching for anything that might have been hidden, but mostly it was to secure the facility from further trespass.  That meant that there were two Soldiers returning which really helped.  She had Kunsel in her office earlier and had already debriefed him on what was needed.  She really had wanted to have him help her directly, as his uncanny ability to get information would have been useful, but she knew that might hamper him.  Instead she assigned him to one of the teams that currently didn’t have a commander and asked that he update her regularly on anything he might find, even if it seemed irrelevant.

She had already worked through lunch and was thankful when one of the two that were assisting her brought her something.  She had barely had time to think of it until she smelled the food.  She didn’t even complain that it was from the cafeteria.

Several times already she had to remind herself that not even Sephiroth had done this alone.  At least not after he took over both branches of the military.  It made her feel like less of a failure when she had to rely on the Soldiers helping her to make sure nothing slipped through the cracks.

She had just settled in to eat when she heard a message ding on her computer.  She thought about ignoring it until she was done eating, but she had glanced over to see who it was from.  When she realized it was from Zack, she stopped and pulled it up.  He had been scheduled to reach the second facility a couple of hours earlier, and they were all waiting to see if that one would be as empty as the first one had been.  When she opened his brief report, she lost her appetite.  She should have known Avalanche would be all over the facilities too, but it didn’t make hearing it easier to deal with.

  As soon as she finished reading his report, she picked up her phone.  Unless he was busy hunting monsters, she had had several things to discuss with him.  She was glad when he picked it up on the second ring, although the fatigue she could hear in his voice made her cringe.  She didn’t let him hear it though.  “Zack, I’m glad you picked up.  Do you have a moment to talk, or is the facility still unsecure?”

She heard him sigh slightly, but his voice was edging closer to his normal cheer when he spoke.  “Lissa, I’m glad you called.  This place gives me the creeps.  We have secured the main hallways, but it’s pretty big.  We will be systematically checking the rest.  The things we found… I never thought anyone could be so cruel.”  His voice had started to trail off and she knew the mission was likely to scar him for some time.  She was just glad that his nature wouldn’t allow him to stay that way for long.

She tried to help him as much as was possible given the circumstances.  “Just remember that you are helping.  I know it probably doesn’t feel like it right now.  I have a good idea of what you are dealing with, but I promise it’s for the best.  We won’t let this continue and we certainly won’t let it ever happen again.”

She was glad to hear a hint of a smile when he spoke again.  “Yeah, I know I’ll do all I can to help with that.  For now, let me get back to it.”

She stopped him before he could hang up though.  “One moment.  I have one more question for you.  From what your initial report says, we should assume that Avalanche knows about all the labs and are making the effort to clean them out before we can.  Also, if the man you fought was named Shears and seemed to be subordinate to the one that left, then it would be safe to assume that was Fuhito.  With Elfe no longer with them, then Shears would be second in command.  Would it be possible for you to send over a detailed description of both men?  I can forward it out to everyone, so they know what, or rather who, to be on the lookout for.”

His voice finally showed the enthusiasm he was known for.  “Yes ma’am.  I can have that over in a couple of hours.  We should have this place cleared out by the end of the day tomorrow.  Once I’m sure we’ve cleared it out, I’ll leave one group and be back.  You’ll have my final report before I leave.”

“Thanks Zack, and be careful.  There is no telling if Avalanche left any surprises of their own.”

“I got this!  You just keep everyone else in line and I’ll be back before you know it!”

Even though she was worried about Avalanche’s involvement, her heart was less heavy when she hung up.  They still had so many things to face, but hearing her friend push passed his own heavy heart and find his enthusiasm helped her deal with her own issues.  Her main worry now was the three Firsts and what they might end up facing.  She knew part of it was the wait, as they still had several days before they would even reach their destinations, but the rest was outright worry for the people she cared about.  She didn’t let it show though when one of her assistants returned with the latest reports from the troops in the city.

She thanked him and was about to get started on them when he pointed out she still hadn’t eaten.  She still didn’t have an appetite, but she knew too many people depended on her now for her to not at least try to take care of herself too.  She gave him a nod and pulled her plate back over as she started reading through the reports.  It looked like it was going to be another long day.

* * *

 

Zack had been true to his word, so by the end of that day every one of the troops that were out to find Hojo’s labs were equipped with a full description of the men Shears and Fuhito.  The news that Avalanche had been at the second facility had the rest of the men pushing further each day to try and reach the rest of them before the terrorist group could.  Clarissa hated that they were pushing so hard, but she didn’t say anything.  She knew everyone was putting forth more effort than normal.  She only hoped it payed off soon and they would all be able to relax a little.  Minerva had warned them that things were not going to be easy.

By the end of the first week, Zack was back with most of the troops that had gone with him, which added to the number of people that could be assigned to patrols.  He had looked slightly haunted when he got back, but it only took one night out with Reno, and a hangover the next day, to get him back to his cheerful self.  She found that solution more humorous than she should have, but was more than appreciative of his bubbly personality once it was back in place.  It made dealing with the absence of Genesis and the others just a little easier.

The Firsts had finally all made it to their destinations a couple of days after Zack’s return, and so far, none of them had run into Avalanche at least.  She hadn’t spoken to Genesis in a couple of days and it had her on edge, but she received his daily reports and a simple message from him each day, even if it was only ‘I miss you’ or ‘I love you’.  At least having that much allowed her to keep from panicking.  She knew they all had their hands full.

She was still busy, even with Lazard being back, but it wasn’t as hectic as it had been those first few days.  There had been a couple of times over the last week that she almost wished she was.  Rufus had made a few attempts to speak with her alone.  Thankfully, each time she had other things to take care of.  It was because of his persistence that she nearly rolled her eyes when Reeve’s secretary called and told her they had a meeting that afternoon and she would be required to attend.  She somehow managed to politely let the woman know that she understood and would be there.  She only hoped it wouldn’t take them long.

That afternoon, she was the last to arrive.  One of the squads had run into trouble near the train station and she had to investigate.  It ended up only being a group of thugs that were harassing people, thankfully.  At least it wasn’t Avalanche.  When she walked in, she found that everyone had been able to attend, including Lazard, and unfortunately, Rufus.  She ignored him as she took her seat with an apology.

Once she was seated Reeve stood to address everyone.  “Thank you all for coming on short notice.  I will get right to the issue.  This morning we received a missive from Wutai.  It was delivered via courier and the gentleman was instructed to wait for our reply.”

He paused and looked nervously around the room before his eyes stopped on Clarissa.  He managed to tear his gaze away and keep going.  “The message was brief, but he passed on his knowledge that Flavus is no longer in control of the company.  In light of that fact, he has asked that we renegotiate the term set forth previously.  He has not stated that he is interested in fighting back, but he did hint that he would not be above it.  Although, he did try to make it seem as if he felt we might be more willing to compromise.”

At that point Rufus spoke up.  “This is something we have already discussed.  I understand that the negotiators have not had much time, but surely this will not be an issue for us.”

Reeve looked like he wanted to walk away at that point, but he managed to stiffen his spine and spoke again, even if his voice betrayed his nerves.  “Yes, we had planned on renegotiating, and our team is at least ready enough to start.  However, Wutai included one term that they felt was non-negotiable.  Godo has asked that both Commander Rhapsodos and Lieutenant-Commander Williamson be part of the team that is sent over.”

There was a brief pause before minor chaos erupted.  Clarissa was stunned until she realized what the request might mean.  Her stomach knotted up at the thought of possibly having to face the defeated nation for war crimes.  That was bad enough, but thinking of Genesis in that position made her stomach drop out.  She barely understood was Lazard was yelling about, but she tuned back in when she heard her name.  “-will not allow either of them to be blamed for doing their jobs.  Yes, I agree that having Wutai as an ally instead of an enemy would be beneficial, but we cannot sacrifice good people to make it happen.”

His tirade was cut off by Rufus.  “While I agree that we need every able-bodied person we have, we cannot ignore this request.”  He turned to Reeve at that point.  “Does the message actually state that they will be tried when the reach Wutai, or is it simply a request for their presence?”

Reeve looked relieved to have a question he could answer easily.  “It only asks for their presence.  There was no stated purpose, but it was the only thing that was insisted upon.”

Clarissa didn’t like it, but she knew Godo was not the type of person to ask anything for no reason.  Now that she had calmed some, she also knew he had enough honor that she doubted he would use them as scapegoats.  At least she hoped not.  She knew his pride had to be hurting, as well as being worried for his people, however, that didn’t mean he would use them to make a statement.  With that thought in mind, she stood.  “I will go.  Obviously, we cannot comply right away, since the other Firsts are all gone and we have no one here, but I would be willing to go as soon as we find a suitable replacement for the duties I currently have.”

Chaos erupted once again but Reeve was quickly able to bring it back under control.  “Enough!  We won’t get anywhere this way.”  He turned to Clarissa with a slight frown.  “I am glad that you are willing, but we cannot allow you to go right now.  As much as I hate the idea of sending the message that we might be vulnerable currently, we need to let them know that you will both be unavailable for several weeks.  That doesn’t mean you will not go.  If we are agreed that we will be going then I will go ahead and send a reply stating that you will head to Wutai in three weeks.  That should give Commander Rhapsodos ample time to finish his investigation, at least well enough to leave it in one of the Second’s hands.  The same would apply to the other Firsts as well so at least one of them should be able to return before you have to leave.”

Lazard still wore a grim look.  “While that is a good plan, we are _not_ all agreed that they should be sent.”

Clarissa shook her head at his tone.  “Thank you, Director, for sticking up for us both, but this will be best.  I cannot claim to know Godo’s motives, but I doubt he is asking to make examples of us.  Despite the years of war, he is still an honorable warrior.  There is something else behind this request and I truly believe it will benefit us if we comply.”

Rufus looked as if he had something else to add as well, but he was cut off by Reeve.  “Great.  I will put the message together and get it sent back to Wutai tomorrow.  If there is nothing else, this meeting is adjourned.”

Clarissa gave him a quick nod and moved to head back to her office.  She was intercepted by Veld and Rufus.  Veld was the one to speak first.  “I hope you know what you’re doing.  I don’t doubt your observations, but remember that it isn’t just about you anymore.”

She stopped him before he could say anything else.  “I will not put any of us at risk unnecessarily.  I doubt you plan on not having one of your men involved anyway, right?”

He laughed at her assumption.  “Well, if there is an advantage to be had, why would I not go after it.  Just try to come back in one piece.”  She smiled and gave him a nod before turning and leaving.  She didn’t give Rufus a chance to corner her.  She had enough to worry about now that she didn’t want to add his condescension to her list. Despite being worried about what she would be facing in a few weeks, it didn’t take her long to get swept up in her current duties once she was back in her office.

* * *

 

Genesis and his team had already worked to clear out all the monsters in the facility he had been assigned to.  That had taken several days, but he almost wished for more.  He had gotten the news about his next assignment to Wutai, and while he was not happy about it to say the least, that was currently not at the top of his list of things to be pissed about.  They were systematically going through the data that was left behind and either retrieving it for further study back in Midgar, or destroying it.  Nothing would be left behind by the time they were through.

What had his emotions roiling was one of the things they had found.  One of the Soldiers had contacted him with a bit of trepidation earlier in the day, as they had found something that involved him.  He immediately went to the lab where they were and ordered the rest of the team out.  If it was information that Hojo had, there was no telling what could be involved.  Once he started digging, he was glad he was the only one in the room.

He read through every part of the data that was on the computers and it made him want to be sick, but he finally had more answers than he expected, especially as not even Clarissa had been able to shed any light on who his birth parents might have been.  The data looked to have originally been part of the experiments that were conducted before Gast left, so it was likely that Hollander had copies of most of it already, at least what was in this room.  That thought only served to make him angrier.  It took several moments before he could calm enough not to blow the whole room up.

When he was finally calmed, he went through the motions of copying most of the data over before he gave in and melted every piece of electronics in the room.  He didn’t care if it was potentially salvageable hardware.  The satisfaction the action brought him was worth far more than a few old computers.  At least as far as he was concerned.  Unfortunately, the calm that came after his vandalism didn’t last long.  Even though he had some answers now, he realized he had more questions than ever.

As much as he missed Clarissa, he knew that neither of them had time to waste on lengthy phone calls, so he had kept their conversations brief.  The fact that he had only been able to speak to her once in the last week and a half though, made his current circumstances even worse.  He finally decided that he didn’t care if they were both busy, some things were simply worth it, and he needed to talk to someone before he destroyed the rest of the facility as well.

He grabbed the disks that he had made and headed to the room that he had commandeered.  He ensured there was no one else nearby before he pulled out his phone and dialed.  He sighed when she finally picked it up on the fourth ring and gave a bitter smile when he heard the concern in her voice before he had even said anything.  “Genesis, is everything alright?  Not that I’m not glad to hear from you, but why are you calling in the middle of the day?”

“My love, the fates are cruel, there are no dreams, no honor remains.  I have found something… something that I was not expecting.”

Her concern was almost palpable when she responded.  “What?  If you are calling me about it, it has to be important.  What did you find?”

He didn’t answer right away.  He took a moment to listen to her breathing and allowed it to calm him some before he spoke again.  “I found the research that led to my birth.  I know who my birth parents are, at least partially anyway.”

He heard her gasp, but it took her a moment to finally respond.  “I know you have wondered, even though you made peace with your parents.  Is it… do you want to talk about it?”

Her audible concern was like a balm.  The fires that had been raging inside finally started to subside.  “That is why I called.  Do you have time to listen?”

“Of course.”

Her answer was simple, but it served to set him in motion finally.  “I was the first to be created in the Jenova project.  They didn’t have a viable embryo already, so they created one and used a surrogate to bring me to term.  The father is only listed as Soldier 208.  Apparently, there were concurrent experiments ongoing on the effects of mako, as saturation was still a new procedure.  He just happened to be the subject they deemed best to suit their needs.”

He paused and took a deep breath, but she didn’t interrupt.  She knew he needed to get this off his chest.  After a moment he continued.  “The mother was another test subject that had been captured a few years earlier.  They had taken some of her eggs along with other tissue and had them ready for things of that nature.  From what I can tell, neither of them had any clue that a child was created.  That explains why no one ever knew who they were.  As far as Hojo and Hollander were concerned, they were nothing more than test subjects.”

He stopped at that point and Clarissa could hear his breathing increase.  She wished she could be there to hold him but settled for trying to calm him.  “Just because they didn’t know doesn’t mean they wouldn’t have wanted you.  I know you have a wonderful family now, but you are more than an experiment, just like they were.  They were people and so are you.  You are more than the plans Hollander had for you.”

She paused to allow him to respond, but when he didn’t, she continued.  “The fact that you learned this doesn’t change anything about who you are.  Do you want to research further into who they really were?  If nothing else, it might allow you closure.”

He finally spoke at that point.  “I am uncertain.  Maybe someday, but for now I still need to assimilate this.  All I have is the woman’s name.  It would take time if I decide to do anything with this information.”

Clarissa found that she was curious despite the gravity of the situation.  Whoever his birth parents were, they would have had to have been extraordinary.  Genesis was unique, even among the Firsts, so his birth parents had to have been part of that.  “Would you mind telling me her name?”

He sat down at that point and closed his eyes.  “The only information I have on her is that her name was Ifalna.  It sounds familiar, but if I knew her, I can’t remember where.”  He paused at the sudden gasp the name had elicited from Clarissa.  “You recognize the name?”

Clarissa’s mind was going a mile a minute.  Suddenly several things made sense in such a terrible way.  Hollander had succeeded where Hojo had only thought he had, and it was tragic.  Genesis had only just found out who his mother was, and already would have to say goodbye to the thought of meeting her.  It made her want to cry until she remembered that he was not alone.  When she realized what else that fact meant she nearly laughed.

Genesis could hear Clarissa go from sniffling to trying to hold in a laugh and nearly lost his temper at the fact that she still had not answered, despite the fact that she obviously knew something.  He barely kept the bite from his voice when he asked again.  “It is obvious that her name means something to you.  Tell me.”

Clarissa finally let go of her cheerful laugh as she answered.  “Yes I recognize her name, and I know I have shared it with you before so that is probably why it sounds familiar.  Ifalna was the last known Cetra.  She was Gast’s wife and Aerith’s mother.”

There was complete silence on the line after that.  Genesis’ mind had come to a complete halt.  When it started working again, it was whirling.  He had already known about the connection he had with Angeal through Gillian, but he had considered Angeal a brother for years, long before he found out they could technically claim the term in a strange sort of way.  To find out that he had an actual sibling was unexpected though.  It also didn’t help his state of mind to learn that he was actually part Cetra himself.  That would explain why Deepground had been started after his birth.

All of these thoughts and more were going through his head when Clarissa finally interrupted his thoughts again.  “Gen, I know this is a lot for you to take in, but remember that you are loved.  Not just by me but by a lot of people.  The only thing this revelation means is that you will have a larger family that loves you.  And trust me, Aerith already looks up to you.  When you tell her about your connection, she will love you too.  Don’t ever think that she would condemn you for something you had nothing to do with.  I think this is something you both could use.”

He finally opened his eyes with a tentative smile.  He was still uncertain about many things, but he could never remain upset when she put her mind to pulling him from one of his moods.  He only hoped that she was correct.  He had seen the Ancient… no, Aerith, several times since the first one and admired her ability to see the good in any situation.  He really hoped she would be able to see the good in this one as well.  He didn’t want to hope, but found that it was hard for him not to.  It was a bad habit he had picked up from his lover.  At that thought he smiled as he spoke.  “Infinite in mystery is the gift of the Goddess.  You do have a way of cultivating hope.”

She smiled at his acceptance.  She was excited for him, even if his discovery had not been all good, the parts that he could act on more than made up for the rest.  She continued to talk to him quietly for several more minutes until she was certain he would be alright.  When they finally hung up she could barely contain a squeal of joy.  He had made her promise not to say anything to Aerith until he returned and could tell her himself, and she knew that the next couple of weeks would be difficult as she tried to keep that promise.  She was suddenly kind of glad that she didn’t have much time to visit while the other Firsts were gone.  At least she had few chances to ruin the surprise.


	6. Revelations

##  **Chapter 6**

It was five days until Clarissa and Genesis were supposed to leave for their trip to Wutai, and she still had not had much time to worry about it.  The other Firsts had left their respective locations two days prior and were expected back the day before they had to leave.  The thought of it made her cringe, as she was sure Genesis would be cranky the whole way there after having just got back.  She had traveled with him enough to know that he didn’t like being cooped up.

What was worse, was the fact that the lab Angeal had been assigned to came under attack just a few days after the alert with Shears and Fuhito’s images.  Luckily it was turned back quickly, and nothing was taken, but that did show that Avalanche already knew where the rest of the locations were.  It was a toss up whether they could make it into Wutai before she and Genesis could ask Emperor Godo for permission.  It didn’t look good for them though.  At least all the relevant data from the three sites on the Western Continent was on its way back with the Firsts.

It was late afternoon and Clarissa had thought about sending the Soldier assisting her to his bunk, but she had just gotten a fresh report from all three sites and wanted to go through them before they turned in.  It was as she was reading through them that she heard a knock.  She didn’t bother looking up as she called out for them to come in.  She vaguely heard the door open and shut, but she only gave it half an ear.  The other Soldier that assisted her was in and out often enough that she only bothered stopping what she was doing if he had something to ask her. 

It took her several moments to realize that the person hadn’t moved or said anything yet, so she finally looked up.  What she saw had her frozen for several heartbeats, at least until she managed to somehow spring out of her seat and across the room faster than most people would have been able to see.  The sound of her voice barely kept up.  “Genesis!”

His arms were open and waiting when she flung herself into them.  He didn’t hesitate to meet her lips with his own.  He had missed her as much as she obviously had missed him and they both poured all of that into a kiss that seemed to drag on, at least for the people watching.  They were finally interrupted by a deep chuckle.  Clarissa managed to push back far enough that she could look around.  She was still a little dazed, but that feeling went away when she saw a grinning Angeal and a smiling Sephiroth.  She felt her face heat slightly, but she didn’t try to move out of Genesis’ embrace as she managed to greet the others too.  “Sorry guys, I didn’t notice you there.  It’s great to see you both too!”

At that Sephiroth let out a true laugh and clapped Genesis on the shoulder.  “And you were ever worried that her heart would stray?”

Clarissa felt her cheeks heat further, but she ignored it as she gave her commanding officer a glare.  She wasn’t given the chance to say anything though as Genesis relaxed his hold and took her hand so they could actually speak.  “We wanted to surprise you.”

She nearly laughed at his simple statement.  “Well, I would count myself surprised.  We weren’t expecting you back for another four days or so.  How did you make it back so quickly?”

Genesis gave her one of his devious grins, but it was Angeal that answered.  “We may have stretched the truth a little.  Genesis told us that he wanted us all back before you had to leave again so we could all attend the wedding, so we only brought back the people we could afford to and had our Second’s forward their daily reports to us, so we could send them to you.  There wasn’t much left to go through anyway.  I imagine the rest will be on their way back within a few days.”

She felt her heart lurch at his words.  Given the fact that they had to leave so soon, she had fully expected the wedding to be put off until their return from Wutai.  She gave Genesis a questioning look.  His answering smirk had heat spreading through her.  She tried to control the reaction as he answered her unasked question.  “I made a promise that we would be wed when I returned from this mission.  That is one that I took seriously and have no intentions of failing to keep.”

Clarissa felt like her heart was trying to burst from her chest at his words.  She barely managed to keep from throwing herself on him again.  She settled for burying her face in his chest and giving him a rib cracking hug.  Her voice was muffled when she answered.  “You know I love you, right?”

He chuckled softly and kissed the top of her head before he pushed her back.  “My love, your desire is the bringer of life, the gift of the Goddess.  I have been blessed and plan on letting the world know.”  She laughed at his round about way of telling her that he loved her too.  She was used to it though, as it wasn’t a new habit.

They were interrupted by the Soldier that had been going through the reports with her.  “Excuse me, ma’am.  I’ve finished these, so if you don’t object, I’ll leave you to your evening.”

She had to fight to keep from blushing again as she turned to him.  She had forgotten that he was there as soon as she saw Genesis.  “Of course.  I really appreciate you staying late and helping me go through those.”  He gave her a genuine smile with his salute before he walked out.

Thankfully, none of the Firsts commented on the interaction.  Although Sephiroth did speak up.  “You can give me a run down of where things stand tomorrow.  I think it’s late enough tonight that you should take your own advice and turn in.”  She wasn’t sure if he was being facetious, as it was sometimes hard to tell with him, but she wasn’t going to complain even if he was.  She and Genesis had a lot of catching up to do.  She gave him a nod as both he and Angeal turned to leave.  Once they were gone, Genesis didn’t waste any time in wrapping her up in his embrace once again.

* * *

 

Even though she had said they would be turning in, it was nearly an hour before she and Genesis even made it out of her office.  She was just thankful that she kept her desk neater than he did, or it would have been uncomfortable to say the least.  Even on the way back to their apartment, their hands stayed clasped and neither of them let go for any amount of time.

Clarissa really tried to be considerate of the fact that the walls in the Shinra building were much thinner than she would have liked, but it was a lost cause as the night got later.  They had been apart for far too long as far as they were concerned, and they were trying to make up for lost time.  Even though they were both enhanced though, they finally succumbed to their exhaustion and curled into each other.

Before Clarissa could fall asleep though, she was brought out of her doze by a kiss on the top of her head.  She looked up at Genesis with a lazy smile.  “You could do that every day for the rest of our lives, and I would never not love it.”

He chuckled slightly.  “Noted.”  Before she could curl back into him though, he spoke up again.  “I know that most of the arrangements have been decided on already, so I will make the necessary calls in the morning.  It will be no problem, and I already have the venue.  Once you give your report to Sephiroth, would you mind taking the afternoon off?”

She raised a brow at his uncharacteristic question and her curiosity showed in her voice.  “I’m sure it will be fine.  Now that you are all back, the load will be a little easier to handle.  Why do you ask it like that though?  You know I would love to spend time with you.”

She was further surprised when he looked away.  He was acting strange and she wasn’t sure what to make of it.  He finally looked back with a slight furrow between his brows.  The sight of it made her nervous, at least until he spoke.  “I wanted to visit Aerith tomorrow, and I would appreciate it if you would go with me.”

At his request she leaned up and kissed him softly with a smile before she responded.  “I would love to go.  I haven’t been able to do more than pass along messages since you’ve been gone anyway, and I have a couple of things that I need to talk to her about as well.”  She lightly kissed him again.  “Besides, I said I would before, didn’t I?”

He smiled at her teasing tone, but he still looked nervous.  Instead of answering her though, he changed the subject slightly.  “You said you needed to speak to her as well?  Why?”

She let the change of subject slide as she curled back up against his chest.  She was fighting sleep already, even with the topic, but she managed to respond.  “A couple of things.  The most important was that I wanted to ask her to be my maid of honor.”

Genesis stilled at her words.  He should have realized she would want that, and he wasn’t upset, but it did give him mixed feelings.  By the time he worked through them at least enough to answer, he found that she had finally drifted off.  He smiled at the sight before he allowed himself to follow.

* * *

 

The next morning was hectic for all of them.  The Firsts all had to deal with the things that had piled up that only they could handle, although there wasn’t too much, it was still enough to keep them all busy.  It was after 10:00 before Sephiroth even had the time to get Clarissa’s report.  She had used the time to clean up the worst of her loose ends as well, since she planned on taking the afternoon off.  She didn’t get the chance to ask, since Sephiroth preempted her request.  “I have already been asked if you can have the afternoon off.  I will allow at, as you have been cooped up here for too long, but Genesis can only afford to be gone for a few hours at most.”

She gave him a nod.  “That should be plenty of time.  Besides, part of my reason for going is official business.  Reeve had something he wanted me to talk to her about.”

Sephiroth was curious, but he knew neither of them had the time to waste today, especially since they would all be off for at least half a day soon.  Even though he wanted to be irritated at Genesis for his poor timing, he couldn’t bring himself to be upset.  He was happy that two of the people he considered friends had found a special kind of happiness together.  He shook off those thoughts as well.  He still had a mountain of paperwork to clear off his desk.  The sight of the stacks was giving him a headache.

He was getting ready to dismiss her, but she spoke up again before he could.  “Oh!  I almost forgot.  While I was here, I wanted to ask you a favor.”

He raised a brow at her nervous tone, but he motioned for her to continue.  She suddenly had to look away and he found he was extremely curious what her question was.  He didn’t have to wait long to find out.  “Well, you see, I don’t have any family here on Gaia.  You and Angeal are the closest thing to it, and I was wondering, well… would you be okay with giving me away?  Please?”

Sephiroth was dumbfounded at the request.  It was the last thing in the world that he had expected, so it took him several moments to find the words to respond.  “Wouldn’t that be the role of a father figure?”

Clarissa hadn’t been sure how the request would go over, but he hadn’t said no, so she managed to press on.  “Or a brother, if there is no father figure.  You are the closest thing I have ever had to a brother.  Even if we aren’t related by blood, I would be grateful if you would at least think about it.”

He sat back in stunned silence.  Angeal and Genesis had been the first people that he had ever opened up to, and even then, at first it had been difficult for all of them.  Now that he thought about it, Clarissa had managed to work her way into that small circle as well.  He had never known what a family was like, but as dysfunctional as their relationships were sometimes, he realized she was right.  They were family of a sort.  He finally gave her a smile.  “It would be my honor.”

Clarissa jumped up at his answer and gave him a brief, tight hug.  When she stepped back, she was grinning.  “You have no idea what this means to me.”

His smile widened slightly at her obvious joy, but he didn’t let the moment linger.  “I think I might, but that is irrelevant right now.  If you don’t let me get back to work, I won’t have time to even worry about it.”

She gave him another big smile as she headed to the door.  “Thank you!  You call me if you need anything else, I won’t be too far.”  He waved her away without a response and turned to pull one more of the piles to himself once the door closed behind her.

* * *

 

After her meeting with Sephiroth, Clarissa went to Genesis’ office to see if he was ready.  She wasn’t surprised to hear his raised voice from behind the closed door.  She only knocked once before she let herself in.  He gave her a slight glare as he quickly finished his conversation and hung up.  Once he was off the phone he relaxed slightly, but he still wore a frown.  “There are no dreams, no honor remains.  You would think that at least some things would go right even if I wasn’t there to ensure it personally.”

Clarissa raised a questioning brow at his statement, but he waved it off as he stood.  “It is of little importance for now.  Since you are here, does that mean you are free?”

She gave him a nod as she walked over and took one of his hands and gave it a squeeze.  “Yes, but I was told you only had a few hours.  If that’s the case, then we should go.”  His frown grew but she leaned up and kissed him to stop him from another tirade.  He gave her a glare for her audacity, but she just smiled and pulled on his hand.  He finally gave up and shook his head before he followed her out of his office and down to the sector 5 slums.

The closer they got to the church, the slower his steps became, but Clarissa didn’t push him.  She knew this was going to be a momentous occasion for both of them, so she gave him time to gather his thoughts.  When they finally reached the church, Clarissa was happy to see that Aerith was already there, and they wouldn’t have to wait for her.

Once they were through the doors Aerith ran to Clarissa and gave her a hug.  “It seems like it’s been forever!  Zack has passed on your messages, but it’s great to see you again!”

Clarissa laughed at her exuberance.  “I’ve missed you too, and there are a couple of things that I really need to talk to you about, but-“  She paused and pulled Genesis forward slightly before she continued.  “I believe this might be more important.”

Clarissa was unsurprised when Aerith gave her a sly smile, but neither of them said anything.  Instead they both turned to Genesis.  It wouldn’t have surprised her to find out that the planet had given Aerith a heads up, but the girl was obviously content to wait for him to bring it up.  He looked at her nervously for a moment before he found his voice.  “Clarissa is correct.  There is something important that I would like to speak with you about.  Would you mind if we took a seat?”

Aerith gave him a grin before she motioned to one of the nearby pews.  He followed her over and Clarissa took a seat on his other side.  She was there for moral support only.  Once they were seated, Genesis still couldn’t seem to find the words, and she could tell that he was as tense as she had ever seen him.  She rubbed her hand between his shoulder blades, to help him relax as well as to remind him that he wasn’t alone.  That motion seemed to do the trick, as he finally started to speak.  “I am unsure of where I should start, but I can try to piece this together.”

He paused and Aerith only gave him a polite nod for him to continue.  “I only recently found out that I had been adopted as a small child.  My adoptive parents had no idea who my birth parents were, and I could find no information on them, at least not until recently.”

He paused to swallow again and this time it was Aerith that put her hand over one of his.  He gave her a quizzical look at the action, but she just smiled and motioned for him to continue.  He tried not to second guess his decision and pushed himself to keep going.  “I was only able to find out a little bit about the circumstances surrounding my birth, but the one thing that I was able to verify, was that my mother’s name was Ifalna.  When I spoke to Clarissa about it, she told me that Ifalna was your mother.  I know that we are practically strangers, and these circumstances are confusing at best, but I felt it relevant to at least share with you.”

Once he had it all out, he was sitting so stiffly, Clarissa was sure he would have a hard time standing if he didn’t relax.  To their surprise, Aerith didn’t say anything for a moment, instead she gave him an evaluating look before she spoke.  “Is that all?”

Genesis quickly worked his face back into a blank mask, but not before Clarissa noted the confusion, and anxiety.  It didn’t show when he spoke.  “I’m not sure what else you are looking for.  I simply thought you should know.”

Aerith shook her head and gave him a smile.  “You wanted me to know, because you think I am entitled, or because you know that we were both adopted, and although we love our adopted families as much as we ever could have our blood, you still would like to have a real relationship with your only surviving relative?”

Genesis was dumbstruck.  That was exactly what he wanted, even if he had refused to admit it to himself.  He tentatively turned his hand over and gently squeezed Aerith’s before he spoke.  “I did not even realize that was what I wanted until you stated it.  If you would be willing, I would like to try.”

At his words Aerith launched herself at him and gave him the best hug she could muster.  “See, Clarissa has been a good influence on you!”  She let it go on for a moment before she pulled back and looked him in the eye.  “We are family.  I don’t think you could get rid of me now if you tried.”

Genesis wasn’t sure what to make of her reaction.  He had many scenarios that had played out in his head since he first found out, but this was never one of them.  As he tried to come to grips with her response, something struck him, and he narrowed his eyes.  “You knew already.”

It wasn’t a question, but Aerith responded as if it had been.  “Sort of.  I knew you had really important information, and I kind of guessed the rest.  Honestly, even if you hadn’t found out, I would have guessed it eventually.  You and I both have mother’s nose and mouth.  All it would take was for your eyes to be green and then I bet most people could tell.”

He paused at that before he chuckled.  “My eyes were green before the mako injections.”  His statement made Aerith laugh.

Now that the worst part was over, Clarissa stood and gave him a peck on the cheek before she headed to look at the flowers.  Part of it was the fact that she hadn’t been down there in so long that she wanted to soak up the peaceful feeling while she could.  The bigger part however wanted to give the two of them at least a few minutes to talk alone.

She didn’t get very long though as Aerith called out to her.  “You said you had something to talk to me about too?”

Clarissa turned back with a rueful smile.  “A couple of things actually.  Would you like to talk about business first, or personal?”

Aerith crinkled her nose before she responded.  “Let’s not ruin the mood with business talk.”

Clarissa laughed at her before she moved to rejoin them.  Once she was seated, she gave Aerith a smile.  “I don’t think it would ruin the mood, but I’ll go ahead and ask my personal question first.  Genesis and I are getting married and I wanted to ask you to be my Maid of Honor.  Would you?”

Aerith’s eyes got wide and she squealed before she launched herself at Clarissa.  “Congratulations!”  She quickly let her go and gave Genesis another hug.  “And you too!”

Once she finally calmed some, she grabbed both of Clarissa’s hands.  “You know this means you really will be my sister now!”

Clarissa laughed at her excitement.  “Yes, I suppose I will be.  Does this mean you would like to?”

“Yes!  Oh, this will be so much fun!”

Clarissa interrupted her before she could go off on a tangent.  “Thank you!  I’m really glad you agreed, but there is one thing you need to know.  Genesis and I are both scheduled to leave for Wutai in less than a week, so we have planned for the ceremony to happen the day after tomorrow.”

Aerith sat back in shock at that, but it didn’t take her long to recover.  “It doesn’t matter!  If you need me then I will be there!”

Clarissa gave her another hug and whispered her thanks before she sat back again.  “I know you may not want to talk about business after that, but I do have something I would like you to think about at least, please.”

Aerith wrinkled her nose again but gave Clarissa a nod.  That was all she needed to start.  “We are currently looking at different ways we can help this part of the world regenerate what has been lost over the last thirty years.  One of the things that was decided would take care of two problems at once.  We would like to form a team of people that can start rebuilding the slums.  It would start with cleanup, but we are also looking at ways to help promote growth, whether it is UV lighting instead of florescent, or opening up parts of the plates.  I honestly think it will have to be a combination of many things.  Here is where you come in.  Once we get things cleaned, we would like to start trying to help the area flourish again.  We would like you to head that team, or at least be part of it.”

Aerith sat back in shock at that, but it was Genesis that responded.  “That is a lot of responsibility.”

Clarissa nodded, but her face was firm.  “Yes, it is, but honestly, I don’t think it would be possible at all without Aerith.  At least not for a very long time.”  She paused and made sure the girl was looking straight at her.  “I do not want you to feel obligated to do this, it really is a request.  I will say though, that I think you have so much potential to help on a grander scale, and this would be the beginning.  If you are interested, I can get you more details later.  For now, think about it.  Talk it over with Elmyra if you want to.  This is a big decision, and, in the end, I just want you to be happy.”

Aerith finally smiled again.  “I know you wouldn’t ask me to do something that I can’t do.  But it is a big choice.  I’ll think about it and let you know before you leave.”

Clarissa smiled and gave her another brief hug.  “That’s all I ask.  Thank you.”  She stood at that point.  “I’m sorry we can’t stay longer, but things are still hectic, especially with the wedding and us leaving soon.  I promise I will be back down with some dresses for you to try on before the wedding.”

Aerith’s eyes lit up at that.  “That sounds fun.  I’m looking forward to it.”  Genesis had already stood by that point as well, but Aerith didn’t let him get far before she grabbed him up in another hug.  “I look forward to seeing you again soon too.  Don’t think I won’t come looking for you if I don’t either.”

He chuckled at her mock threat before he gave her a slight bow.  “There is no hate, only joy, for you are beloved by the Goddess.”  He grabbed Clarissa’s hand before he continued.  “As lost as I once was, I am finding that the Goddess’ blessing surround me.  I look forward to being able to spend more time with you.”

Aerith giggled at him and gave him another hug.  Her voice was tiny when she spoke.  “You’re still too formal… but thank you.”  He hugged her back before he and Clarissa waved goodbye and headed back up to headquarters.

They hadn’t quite made it to the train when Genesis finally spoke.  “I know I have to be back, but you could have stayed.”

She smiled back up at him.  “I don’t have work, but there is still a lot to get done.  I wanted to talk to Shalua about Shelke being the flower girl, and I still need to make sure we have everything ready.  I know you weren’t able to this morning.”  He frowned at her slightly, but she grinned and shook her head.  “Don’t worry about it.  You do realize that going forward it will never be only my burden, or your burden, but our burden.  We are meant to work as a team, so I’ve got this.”

He finally let go of his scowl, but she could tell he had something on his mind.  She didn’t push though.  She was sure that after the conversation he just had, he would have a lot on his mind for a while.  Instead she asked another question.  “I am assuming that Angeal will be your best man, right?”

“Of course.”  He gave her a quizzical look.

She ignored it and kept on.  “Well, do you have any other groomsmen, besides Sephiroth, because I have asked him to walk me down the aisle.”

Genesis stopped dead still and Clarissa was forced to turn and face him.  His face was carefully blank when he spoke.  “You what?”

She had to fight hard not to roll her eyes.  “I asked him to walk me down the aisle.  You do realize by now that he is like a brother to me, don’t you?  I care about him, and Angeal, and Zack, just as much as I care about Aerith.  I didn’t have any family here, but somehow, I have been blessed to find another one.  It will never be the same, but that doesn’t mean it can’t be just as good.”

His eyes roved over her face for several moments, before he pulled her to him in a tight hug.  “I trust you and that should be enough.  I give you permission to ignore me if my jealousy gets out of hand.”

Her laughter was audible in her voice when she responded.  “Like I’ve ever needed your permission for that.”

He scowled down at her, but she could tell he wasn’t really mad.  “You should mark this occasion, as I doubt it will ever occur again.”

She laughed again before she gave him a quick peck and turned to get on the train.  “Come on, I still have dresses to pick out as well.”  He allowed her to pull him onto the train, but his smile escaped once her back was turned.  He knew he truly was blessed and sent up a prayer that they could hold onto those moments for as long as possible.


	7. The Binding of Life

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have two notes. The first is, I wanted to let everyone know that I did not make up the vows that Genesis and Clarissa use. They are adapted slightly from traditional Celtic vows. I simply thought they fit well. Also, the song mentioned is "A Song For Us" by David Hodges. Again, I felt it fit them to a T. Please enjoy and let me know what you think!

##  **Chapter 7**

The next two days went by so fast that all the Firsts were not sure where the time had gone.  Somehow, they still managed to get everything ready despite the fact that Genesis and Clarissa were going to have to leave the day after the wedding.  To help things go a little more smoothly, Aerith and Elmyra had agreed to stay with Clarissa the night before the wedding.  The only caveat was that neither women would allow Genesis to see Clarissa from the point they got there.  They said it was bad luck to see the bride before the wedding and he would just have to wait to see her walk down the aisle.

Clarissa still had the keys to her apartment, despite the fact that she had all but given it up, so that was where they stayed.  Even though he was right next door the two women were active in keeping him out.  The only males allowed in were Zack and Sephiroth, which only served to irritate Genesis further, but he still didn’t get in.  Clarissa understood his irritation a little, as she didn’t really want to spend the night apart either, but they had more than enough to keep her busy while they prepared.

The wedding was scheduled to be late that afternoon, so those involved would have a chance to at least try and be productive before they had to leave, but Clarissa was kept ensconced in her rooms.  They spent the morning working on each other’s makeup and hair.  Not that any of them were particularly skilled at it, but between them they managed to make it work.  Clarissa insisted on the least possible makeup though.  She told them all that it was highly likely that she would end up crying and the last thing she needed was her mascara to run.  They all laughed, but no one pressed her on it.

Even Cissnei had come to help, even though she wasn’t in the wedding.  Clarissa was glad that she managed to stop by.  When she told the girl that she had originally wanted her to be part of the wedding too, Cissnei was glad it hadn’t worked out.  She hated wearing dresses.  She still made sure to genuinely wish Clarissa happiness before she left them to finish.

The wedding was supposed to be held in the smaller of the two ballrooms, and the reception in the larger one, mostly because the larger one had the bar.  They had verified that the seating was all ready to go as well.  Genesis had shown his softer side when he insisted on it being set up so that there was one group instead of two.  He felt it symbolized the fact that they were all one big family, but Clarissa knew it was because there was no bride’s side of the family.  It was one of the things she loved about him, even when he insisted on playing it off, he still showed how much he cared in so many little ways.

When it was almost time for the wedding to start, Elmyra left and Sephiroth came to escort Aerith and Clarissa to where the rest of the wedding party was waiting.  Clarissa nearly laughed at the sight of him in red gloves and a red bow tie.  It wasn’t that he looked funny, but it was a color she never expected him to agree to wear.  It was the colors of the wedding though.  When they arrived outside the doors, she realized she was more nervous than she had ever been.  It wasn’t helped when everyone turned to face her.  It was a small group of people, but she loved each of them like family and that helped calm her.  Angeal gave her a soft smile and Shelke squealed at her dress.  “You look so pretty!”

Sephiroth gave the small girl a soft smile as he added his own opinion.  “She does, doesn’t she.  I think she looks angelic.”

Shelke nodded her agreement enthusiastically.  Clarissa had ended up deciding on a simple, yet elegant design.  It was cream colored satin, with gathered, off the shoulder straps and an empire waist.  The train was barely noticeable.  No one else was able to comment though, when they all heard the music start.  Shelke had already been told what would be expected of her, so she grabbed the basket next to her feet and raced to stand in front of the closed door.  Angeal held out his arm for Aerith to take and she turned one more grin to Clarissa before she took it and went to stand behind Shelke with Angeal.

It was only a few more moments before the doors opened and they could all hear the music clearly.  Zack had agreed to be one of the ushers, so it was him standing behind the opened doors.  He gave Shelke a huge smile and gave her a minute nod at her cue to start.  Once she started throwing flowers, Clarissa couldn’t help but take a peek to watch her.  She smiled at the sight, until something about the room caught her eye.  She couldn’t see the whole room from where she was standing, but she saw enough to note that the seating wasn’t all off to the side.  The room was split in half like a traditional wedding.  She nearly started crying when she realized why.  All the Turks were seated on the side that would normally be considered the bride’s side. 

She stepped back quickly before anyone spotted her and took several deep breaths to try and keep the tears from falling.  The wedding had barely started.  Sephiroth noticed her nerves immediately and tried to calm her.  “I know this is a big step, but I believe he truly loves you.  As much as I believe in your decision, if this isn’t what you want, I will not hesitate to stop it for you.”

She looked over at him and felt a tear finally fall.  His words pushed her over the edge.  “It isn’t that I’m nervous at all.  It’s just… I can’t remember the last time I have ever felt so loved.  I always wanted a fairy tale wedding, and I’m one of the lucky ones that will actually get one.  You are all so wonderful.”

Sephiroth smiled as he finally understood that she wasn’t upset, just overwhelmed.  He gave her hand a squeeze before he put it in the crook of his arm.  “If you’re sure, then I believe it is our turn.”

She wiped her eyes quickly and gave him a nod before she turned with him toward the door.  As soon as she passed the threshold, the quiet murmuring picked up a few notches, but she didn’t notice any of it.  Her eyes were drawn immediately to Genesis and everything else seemed to fall away.  Sephiroth and Angeal had donned black tuxes with red bow ties, but Genesis took it a step further and had a red vest as well.  She felt her mouth suddenly go dry at how delicious he looked.  The feeling wasn’t helped by the look in his eyes.  She was certain that if they weren’t in the middle of their wedding, he would have already had her in his arms.

Her attention was caught when she heard a voice call out above the rest of the noise.  “You know, you really shouldn’t be wearing white!”  The voice was cut off suddenly and she turned just in time to see Tseng smack Reno on the back of the head.  The obnoxious Turk gave him a glare before he turned to her with a grin.  She shook her head at him with a smile.  He never could keep from making a scene, and she didn’t suppose he would start trying to now.  When she looked back to the front, she saw that Genesis had a slight scowl, but surprisingly, she was no longer nervous.

When they finally reached the front, Sephiroth took her hand from his arm and placed it into Genesis’ hand.  He gave her a soft smile before he turned and took a seat with the Turks.  She wasn’t sure what she was feeling most, but all thoughts vanished as she looked up into her fiancé’s eyes.  Suddenly, there was no one else in the room.  The look went on for several moments, before he squeezed her hand and turned to the front.  She followed his example and was shocked to see Rufus standing there.  It took her a moment to realize that as the president of Shinra Co, he was authorized to perform the ceremony, but it was the last thing she had ever expected.  She didn’t have time to reflect on it though, as he started reading from a small book. 

He addressed the first part of his speech to the gathered witnesses, and although the words were different than any she had heard while on earth, the sentiment was the same.  She was still too preoccupied with the man at her side to pay more than passing attention.  She was also trying to fight her nerves over the next part.  She and Genesis had agreed to use the vows that his family had used for generations.  It was a tradition that had been passed down and since they would recite them together, she had memorized them.

Finally, Rufus turned to them and spoke clearly.  “Do you have the rings?”  They both gave him a nod.  He then addressed the crowd again.  “The couple has agreed to their own vows that they will now exchange as they place their rings.”  At his prompting, they turned to each other.  Clarissa took a deep breath and gave Genesis a slight nod before they started speaking in unison, while she took his ring off her thumb and placed it before he took the ring she was already wearing off and turned it, so the crown was facing out.  Clarissa had to fight to keep her voice from wavering as they continued their vows.

_You cannot possess me for I belong to myself._

_But while we both wish it, I give you that which is mine to give._

_You cannot command me, for I am a free person._

_But I shall serve you in those ways you require,_

_And the honeycomb will taste sweeter coming from my hand._

_I pledge to you that yours will be the name I cry aloud in the night,_

_And the eyes into which I smile in the morning._

_I pledge to you the first bite of my meat and the first drink from my cup._

_I pledge to you my living and my dying, each equally in your care._

_I shall be a shield for your back and you for mine._

_I shall not slander you, nor you me._

_I shall honor you above all others, and when we quarrel,_

_we shall do so in private and tell no strangers our grievances._

_This is my wedding vow to you_

_This is the marriage of equals._

Once that was finished Rufus stepped forward again.  He gave Clarissa a moment to get her emotions back under control as it was easy to see she was close to tears again, but once he felt she was ready to proceed, he started again.  He had several long strands of red and silver ribbon that he held up as he started speaking.  “Each of these ribbons signifies the wishes of all those gathered for a long and happy union, their love for this couple and their hopes for the future.”

He paused at that point and wrapped them loosely around the joined hands of Genesis and Clarissa before he pulled the ends together and started tying a knot while he continued speaking.  “As this knot is tied, so are your lives now bound.  With the fashioning of this knot, I tie all the desires, dreams, love and happiness whished here in this place for as long as love shall last.  By this cord you are thus bound to your vow and may it remain tied for as long as you both live.  May your vows never grow bitter in your mouths and may it be granted that what has been done before the gods, not be undone by man.  Two entwined by love, bound by commitment and fear, sadness and joy, by hardship and victory, anger and reconciliation, all which bring strength to this union.  Hold tight to each other through good times and bad and watch as your strength grows.”

Once the knot was tied and he finished speaking, he held up their joined hands and spoke again.  “Blessed be this union.  May all see and rejoice for the new couple.”  He then focused on the two of them.  “You are now bound.  Congratulations, Mr. and Mrs. Rhapsodos.”

At that Genesis grinned down at Clarissa and pulled on her hands until she leaned forward.  When he leaned down to kiss her the room nearly exploded in cheers.  It went on for several moments before Rufus cleared his throat and caused them to part, although neither of them seemed to be bothered.  They did finally move to slip one hand each out of the knotted cords so they could face the room, although they left the other hands clasped within the cords.

Once they were facing everyone else, Clarissa was shocked to see several people she had not been expecting, most notably Genesis’ parents.  She realized he must have made the arrangements for them to be there when he was planning his surprise return.  The realization that everyone had been able to be there, nearly brought her to tears again.  She blinked several times to keep them back as she smiled out to the crowd.  She knew her face was likely to be sore the next day, she was smiling so widely.

As she and Genesis moved to go back down the aisle and to the room for the reception, everyone stood and started clapping.  Clarissa held tight to Genesis’ hand to keep steady.  She had never expected to find the happiness she was overflowing with.

Once they got to the reception room, they were almost instantly ushered to the head table.  They weren’t allowed to sit though.  Instead, they stood while all the visitors filed by and gave their well wishes.  The process was a little tiring, but she was still high on her euphoria and it barely bothered her.  It seemed to go on forever, but finally everyone had managed to find their seats, so the newlyweds took theirs as well.

Once they were seated, Angeal stood.  Clarissa could tell he was a little nervous, but he didn’t hesitate to lift his glass and speak.  “If it were Genesis standing here, and myself the one sitting, I’m sure the speech would be long and flowery and probably bore half of you to tears.”  He had to pause at that point because several of the guests were more than a little vocal in their agreement.  He shot Genesis a smirk before he continued.  “Having said that though, I can honestly say that I don’t think I could ever find a better friend.  We have known each other our entire lives, and although I have not known Clarissa as long, I can say without a doubt that they are meant for each other.”  The smile he sent them both had a knot forming in Clarissa’s throat.  She felt Genesis squeeze her hand and gave him her brightest smile.

Once Angeal finished his speech, dinner was served.  The head table consisted of the newlyweds, Genesis’ parents, Angeal and, much to Clarissa’s joy, Gillian.  Sephiroth and Aerith were sitting next to Clarissa.  She stayed preoccupied for most of the meal, but at one point she noticed Aerith was talking animatedly with Sephiroth and she was surprised to see he was actually involved in the conversation.  She smiled at the sight.

Once the meal was finished and cleared, everyone was allowed to bring their gifts up.  Everyone except Genesis and Clarissa had left the table, which ended up being a good thing, as it quickly became overrun.  Although it was a smaller wedding than what Clarissa had expected given Genesis’ popularity, there were still a lot of people.  She wasn’t sure where they were going to keep everything, but she was grateful.  At some point they would start their life outside of the Shinra headquarters, and that’s when most of the gifts would come in handy.

Angeal and Sephiroth both saved their gifts for last.  They seemed to have had a quick debate over who would go first, and it ended up being Angeal.  All he handed them was a small envelope before he spoke.  “That is actually from most of Soldier.  Several of the men wanted to pitch in.”  Genesis raised a brow at his explanation before he opened the envelope and tipped it over.  All that came out was a single key.  They both looked up at him with confused looks, but his grin almost split his face before he spoke again.  “It’s an apartment not far from the building at the end of Loveless Ave.  It isn’t big, but the first six months are paid and it’s all yours.”

They both stared at the key for several moments before Genesis stood and pulled Angeal in for a quick hug before Clarissa did the same.  “Thank you!”

Even though they were both overwhelmed by the unexpected gift, their attention was drawn with Sephiroth stepped up with a large square package.  Since Angeal had stated the apartment was from all of Soldier, they hadn’t expected anything from him.  His smile was soft when he handed it over.  “I know it may not be as extravagant as some of the others, but I felt you would appreciate it.”

Clarissa gave him a questioning look, but he just smiled again.  She and Genesis both took one side and slowly peeled the paper back.  What was revealed instantly had tears filling Clarissa’s eyes.  She gave Sephiroth a tight hug before she looked back down.  It was a large framed canvas that was covered in a detailed charcoal sketch.  Even though it was only charcoal, the image was stunning.  It was an orchard in Banora with five people taking up the focal point.  Even though Sephiroth had only seen three of them for a brief amount of time, he had managed to render them nearly perfectly.  Clarissa and Willow were both seated and Willow was holding Rose.  Genesis was standing behind Clarissa with a hand on her shoulder, and the man that had been with Willow was standing behind her.  It was a family portrait and it was priceless beyond measure. 

When Clarissa finally looked up, she saw something she had never expected to see.  Genesis had moved to give Sephiroth a quick hug as well.  His voice was low, but she could still hear what he said.  “Thank you, my friend.  One day you will need to use those skills to make one with all of our family, yourself included.”

Clarissa felt like she was going to burst.  As clichéd as it sounded, this really was the happiest day of her life.  She looked back down at the portrait for a moment and felt her happiness lag a little as she was struck by the fact that it would have been absolutely perfect if Willow and her family could have been there as well.  She was drawn from those thoughts as Genesis came up beside her and looked down as well.  He kissed her temple before he spoke.  “We will put it in the most prominent place in our new home, that way they will always be part of our lives even if we cannot see them.”

She felt her tears spill over finally, but he wiped them away before he kissed her forehead.  “None of that today.  Besides, I believe it is time to dance, and we are required to lead.”

She laughed despite her tears and allowed him to pull her to the area in the middle of the room that had been left clear.  As soon as they made it to the center, the music started.  As Clarissa listened to the lyrics of the song that was their first to dance to as a married couple, she wasn’t sure if she wanted to laugh or cry.  It definitely suited them.  When Genesis leaned in and started singing along with the chorus, she felt her tears spill over again, but she was still smiling as she pulled closer to him.

_And if you’re hurting, don’t try to hide from me your welling eyes_

_Cause only light can color the rain_

_Only time can wash away the pain_

_And no goodbye could ever tear this one into two_

_Only love could come between I and you_

Clarissa felt like she had probably died and gone to heaven as Genesis spun her around and they were finally joined on the dance floor by everyone else.  The song changed to another one and they didn’t miss a beat as he pulled her close again.

The moment was shattered though by the sudden blaring of alarms.  Clarissa felt like she had been doused in ice water when one of the Soldiers that had been left on duty came running into the room.  He instantly saw her and Genesis and ran to them.  He tried to keep his voice low to not panic the guests, but he might as well of not bothered.  Besides the alarms, all other noises had stopped and when he spoke, everyone that was nearby heard.  “The building is under attack.  The front doors were blown in and we are keeping them back, but they aren’t like anything we’ve seen.”

Panic did break out at the announcement, but Sephiroth quickly stepped up.  “Everyone, take your seats and stay there for now.  We will post a guard at this room and let you all know when it is safe to leave.”

At that he gave the guard instructions to make it happen and then headed for the door.  When Clarissa and Genesis both followed, he gave them a glare.  Genesis didn’t allow him to say anything though.  “If you think that I have no desire to defend what is important to me then you need to reevaluate.”

Sephiroth only gave him a nod before he turned and led the Soldiers from the room to face whatever had decided to ruin what would have been the perfect day.  Although it wasn’t voiced, there was a grim determination in most of them.  None of them appreciated the harsh interruption in what should have been a happy occasion.


	8. Crimson and Clover

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know the last couple of chapters have been focused on romance (and super sugary), but we are finally back to some action. Please enjoy and let me know what you think! Any and all feedback is appreciated. Thanks!

##  **Chapter 8**

Clarissa stopped the Soldier that had come to let them know what was going on and had him give her his sword.  She hadn’t thought she would need hers, so they were still in her apartment where she had left them.  Genesis and Sephiroth had tried to teach her the trick they used to summon theirs and had even given her the specialized materia for it, but it was not something she was comfortable with yet.  She still felt that they could disappear when she dismissed them, and given the fact that they were a gift from Genesis, that was the last thing she wanted to have happen.

Once she was armed, she hurried to catch the other four.  Genesis raised a brow at her once she was back to his side, but she just held up the sword and he gave her a nod.  Sephiroth paused in front of the elevators before he turned back to the side of the room and motioned everyone to follow him.  “There is no telling if they have gotten to the elevators yet.  If they have then we could end up stuck or worse.  We’ll take the stairs.  Besides, this way we will be able to stop any from sneaking up them.”

No one objected as they all followed him to the small side entrance.  The only pause was when Clarissa stopped to take off her shoes and then throw them next to the door.  Zack was the only one that saw her as they entered the darkened stairwell.  He gave her a questioning gaze.  “What was that for?”

She raised a brow at the question before responding.  “You try running down the stairs in heels.  It’s bad enough that I’m in a dress.  I may have excellent reflexes now, but I’m not impervious to accidents.  I probably wouldn’t die from the fall but that doesn’t mean I have to tempt fate.”

He shook his head at her as they caught up to the other three.  “I wouldn’t be wearing heels in the first place.”

Despite the situation, Clarissa found that she was still able to laugh.  Leave it to Zack to make light during a crisis.  At the sound of her laughter the other three looked back.  Genesis was scowling slightly, but the other two had confused looks.  Sephiroth’s voice was somewhere between curious and concerned.  “I am surprised that you aren’t angrier.”

Her face finally fell to a glare and she shook her head.  “Oh, I’m mad as hell, but I’m saving it for the assholes that decided they just had to pick today to invade.”

All four of the men gave her shocked looks but she snorted before she pushed past them.  “You should know better than that by now.  I don’t _stay_ mad but that doesn’t mean I don’t _get_ mad.”

Genesis was the first to chuckle as he made his way to her side.  “I am well aware of that fact Starlight, I only feel sorry for any others that are in your path.”

She gave him a deadpan look before she focused on the stairs again.  Her voice was barely a mutter.  “You say that, but Minerva have mercy on them when you get there.  You’re calm right now is scary.”

His smirk took on an evil edge, but that was the last thing said until they stopped outside the second floor.  Sephiroth held out a hand and had them all pause and listen.  “It doesn’t sound as if they have made it up the grand staircase yet.  Don’t let your guard down though.  We don’t know what we are facing yet.”

The others gave him a nod before they all followed him out.  There was already thick smoke in the air, but they ignored it as they headed to the grand staircase.  When they got to the top and looked down Clarissa gasped.  The Shinra forces had created a barricade and most of the infantry was behind it providing support to the Soldiers that were engaging the enemy.  She could tell immediately that most of them were Ravens.  What made her gasp though were the three people standing behind the others, watching the carnage.

It didn’t take long for the three to notice them on the stairs and the man in front gave them a wide smirk before he motioned the others to follow him.  Clarissa’s voice was hard when she spoke to her fellow Firsts.  “The one in front is Weiss.”  She put a hand on Sephiroth’s arm before he could race to meet the new threat.  She made sure they were all looking at her.  “Don’t underestimate them.  They are technically Soldiers and would be equivalent to Firsts.”

Zack and Angeal widened their eyes at her warning but Sephiroth only gave her a nod.  Genesis smirked as he moved past her.  “Legend shall speak of sacrifice at world’s end.  I no longer expect that sacrifice to be mine.  Have faith, Love.”  She smirked at his quip but didn’t hesitate to follow him and the others down, sword first.

Weiss, Nero and Rosso had managed to clear the fighting and were moving to meet them at the bottom of the stairs.  There hadn’t been any words exchanged between them before Clarissa caught sight of a twisting shadow and remembered something that she should have thought of before they even started down the stairs.  She didn’t bother trying to speak quietly and her voice was nearly a yell in her panic.  “Don’t engage Nero.  None of us can go up against him.”

At her yell they all stopped, even Weiss and the others.  The look he gave her was evaluating, but he never lost his smirk.  They were close enough to speak by that point, at least for those with enhanced hearing.  Weiss held up a hand to the others before he spoke.  “Brother, I had hoped we could have met under different circumstances, but we do feel slighted that you forgot to send our invitations.  We are family after all.”

Genesis growled at the smirking accusation, but he didn’t bother speaking.  His only answer was a fireball that Weiss quickly dodged before he smirked again.  At that he waved the others forward.  Angeal and Sephiroth moved to intercept Weiss while Genesis moved toward Nero.  Clarissa wasn’t given a chance to stop him before Rosso was right in front of her.  She gritted her teeth when the woman brought her blades around and nearly managed to slice her throat before she blocked the blow.

Now that she was closer, she could easily tell that Rosso was not yet the tall woman she would become, but she still had the maniacal glare that showed her mind was already lost to her lust for blood.  She wasn’t given more of a chance to think about it though as Rosso was proving to be just as fast as she was.  She was stuck defending herself, while she tried not to worry about Genesis and Nero.  She knew Zack had to be helping as well, but the thought that if Nero used his shadows, it wouldn’t matter.  She pushed off another attack and realized she had to end the fight quickly if she hoped to stop Genesis before it was too late.

Her determination turned to irritation when the girl spoke.  “Weiss claims that we are disappointed to be forgotten, but now that I see you, the only thing I am disappointed with is the fact that our brother seems to have lost the flair and style he is known for.  It’s a shame that he has to be burdened with such a colorless bride.”

Clarissa knew Rosso was trying to get under her skin to press an advantage, but she found that her anger from earlier was back full force and the girl was only adding fuel to the fire.  When she blocked again, she quickly followed it with a thrust.  Rosso blocked it easily and laughed at her before she struck again.  “You are not worthy to be his mate.”

As much as Clarissa tried not to let the girl’s jibes get to her, she still fell into a flurry of strikes.  It wasn’t really the girl’s goading, so much as the fact that she realized they had intentionally planned for the attack to happen during the wedding.  Her anger at that was growing until it came out in a growling yell as she moved to the offensive.

Rosso was just as fast though and blocked all her blows.  Their fight continued for several more intense moments.  Any that caught sight of them were stunned at the blur the two women had become.  Clarissa had pressed her attack and had Rosso on the defensive but was suddenly brought up short when the girl managed to twist mid-strike and sliced across Clarissa’s left arm and stomach.  The cut wasn’t deep, but it was enough to cause a bright red stain to start spreading down the front of her ruined gown nearly immediately.

Rosso paused at the sight of it and grinned at Clarissa with a manic gleam in her eye.  “Much better.  Red doesn’t suit you, but it is better than before.”

Clarissa was shocked that she had been hit, but she immediately bit back on the pain.  She yelled out her anger and frustration as she darted forward and managed to land a punch square on the girl’s nose.  Rosso had not been expecting that type of counter and was not able to dodge or block the blow.  Clarissa grinned when she felt the girl’s nose crunch and watched as she crumpled.  She knew it probably wouldn’t keep the girl down for long, but it would be enough.  She couldn’t resist a remark with a smirk when she saw the effects of her blow.  “You don’t have the corner on red, although that shade suits you.”

She quickly turned after that and scanned the fighting to see where the others were.  Sephiroth and Angeal were still engaged with Weiss at the base of the stairs, and she could tell they had finally stopped holding back.  She knew they would be alright though.  She continued to look until her gaze finally landed on Genesis.  He was standing in front of a downed Zack and dodging blasts from Nero.  Her feeling of relief was nearly overwhelming, but she shouted when she saw the Tsviet start to form a shadow ball.  “Genesis!”

She started running toward him and was yelling.  “Where is Vincent!”

Her attention was snagged by a grinning Reno as he called out.  “Yo, Angel.  You need Turk help already?”  She gave him a glare, but it changed to shock when he tossed her something.  She quickly caught her blades and gave him a questioning look.  He shrugged when he answered.  “You left them behind.”

She didn’t have the chance to question him further when Vincent dropped next to her.  As sudden as his appearance was, she didn’t let it faze her before she started.  “You are the only one that can face Nero and walk away.  I have to get the others back before that shadow reaches them.”

Vincent had been wincing since he landed, but at her words, he finally grunted and closed his eyes.  When he opened them again, they were gold.  “It is me that must face him.”

She only nodded, not letting his transformation get to her.  The Weapon growled before he spoke.  “I can feel the tainted lifestream surrounding him.  I will take care of it.”

Clarissa yelled out as he started to turn.  She was antsy to get Genesis and Zack away from danger, but she couldn’t let Chaos kill Nero.  “He needs the mako to survive.  It has surrounded him since birth.”

Chaos paused, but only for a moment.  “I cannot let it remain tainted.  Let’s hope he survives the purification.”

She cringed, but she knew she couldn’t prevent what was about to happen.  Once he started toward Nero, she immediately went to Genesis.  She helped Zack to his feet and yelled at her husband.  “We need to move out and help the others.  Chaos will be the only one that can withstand those shadows.”

Genesis turned and gave her a glare at her interruption, but his eyes widened when he saw her.  He was by her side in an instant and nearly pushed Zack away as he reached out.  Her eyes widened when he was on her so quickly, but it made sense when she felt the wound on her stomach start to heal under his spell.  She shook her head at the look he gave her.  “It wasn’t that bad.  It happens.  Now let’s go take care of the rest.”

He gave her another glare.  “We will discuss this later.”

She smirked at him as she was casting her own cure on the injured Second.  “Yes, sir.”

She didn’t wait for another response.  Zack was up by that point and she grabbed Genesis by the arm and turned him toward the fight with Weiss.  Zack went to help fight off some of the Ravens that had busted through the barrier while Clarissa and Genesis moved to help the others corner Weiss.

The Tsviet didn’t seem bothered by being outnumbered.  “I was really hoping Soldier would prove to be more of a challenge, but even the Great Sephiroth needs his friends to help him face me.”

Sephiroth looked like he was about to speak, but Clarissa stepped forward before he could.  “You talk big, Weiss, and for good reason, but everyone has their weaknesses.”

At her last statement she cut her eyes to where Nero was fighting Vincent.  Weiss didn’t look that way right away, instead he sneered at her before he spoke.  “It looks like Rosso had a bit of fun.  It’s too bad.  I wanted to be the first to greet you to the family.”

She wasn’t sure what his expression was trying to say precisely, but she knew she didn’t want to find out.  When she heard Genesis growl and take a step forward, she stepped to block him, but she didn’t say anything.  Instead she tilted her head slightly and raised a brow at the Tsviet before cutting her eyes to Nero again.

Weiss laughed at her response, but that time did glance the way she was looking.  His surprised gaze was jerked back that way when he saw that Chaos had taken flight and was batting away the shadow balls Nero was throwing at him as if they were playing catch.  Weiss looked back to the four with an incredulous look.  “What in the nine hells is that?”

The others had looked by that point as well and were just as surprised, so Clarissa spoke up once more.  “That is the only being on Gaia capable of purifying tainted mako.  Or controlling it if he wished.”

Weiss instantly understood what she was telling him, and he growled at her.  He was drawn back to the sight of his brother when he heard Nero cry out in pain.  One of Vincent’s shots had managed to connect.  He gave Clarissa another glare but jumped over and passed the Firsts.  Rosso had just made it back to her feet by that time and he yelled at her as he went to Nero’s side.  “Leave.  We’ll finish this later.”

She gave him a shocked look but jumped to do his bidding when he glared at her.  She only paused long enough to scowl at Clarissa.  “You will rue the day you met me.”

Clarissa gave her an evil smirk that had the men around her looking between the two with shocked looks.  “I’d welcome you to try again any day.  Next time I won’t be wearing a dress either.”  Rosso made a dismissive noise but didn’t have time to retort as Weiss had already started down the stairs with Nero.

When the remaining Ravens followed after them, Sephiroth held out a hand to stop further pursuit.  “We will track them another day.  For now, we need to make sure the building is secure and that no one made it farther than this floor.”

Genesis gave him a glare that only intensified when he looked at Clarissa.  Her dress was a shocking reminder that she had been injured once again.  She ignored it though and gave Sephiroth a nod before she moved down the stairs and grabbed the first Second Class Soldier to run by.  He saluted before she started talking.  “Soldier, now that the enemy has retreated, I need you to gather up the remaining Soldiers that aren’t injured and have them work with the infantry to search the floors up to the 40th.  We didn’t pass anyone on the stairs, and I doubt they had time to go higher or we would have seen them.”  She looked around quickly before she continued.  “Leave one contingent here to assist with getting the first two floors into working order.”

He gave her a salute and started to turn away, but she stopped him again.  Her voice finally showed the anger that she was still trying to control.  “We need an accurate count of all our injured.  If there are any Soldiers that you suspect might be missing, as in not on site or with the injured, I need you to let me know immediately.  That takes top priority.”

He gave her another salute with a ‘Yes, ma’am’ before he turned and ran to get the rest of the troops organized and following her orders.  When she turned around, she saw the other three first staring at her.  Sephiroth was giving her a bemused look and Angeal started laughing at the sight of it.  Genesis was shaking his head, but he still had a smirk.  It took her a moment to realize why they were looking at her that way, but when it finally occurred to her, she couldn’t keep the heat from rising to her cheeks.  “I apologize.  I was so focused on what needed to be done that I didn’t stop to think I no longer have to be the one issuing orders.”

Sephiroth shook his head and laughed.  “Don’t apologize.  You covered all the bases.”

Angeal clapped her on the shoulder and gave her a grin before he looked to Genesis too.  “The two of you were supposed to be off tonight.  Why don’t you head back up and take care of the guests and then call it a night?  Sephiroth and I will help with clean up.”

Clarissa started to object, but she was silenced by Genesis’ hand on her arm.  He gave her a look that she really couldn’t read, but his voice didn’t show whatever it was.  “We have an early morning tomorrow.  Besides, the guests are still waiting for the all clear.”

She looked between them and over to Sephiroth, who had already moved to help some of the Soldiers clear away some of the more significant parts of the makeshift barricades.  Finally, she sighed and gave him a nod.  Her voice was tired when she spoke to Angeal.  “Thank you.  Just make sure we see you both tomorrow before we leave.”

At that Angeal grinned again and gave them a wave before he turned to help Sephiroth and the others.  There was nothing but silence between Genesis and Clarissa when they headed to the stairs.  She stopped them, however, when she caught sight of Vincent at the top of the stairs.  She followed his gaze and saw that he was watching Sephiroth, but his eyes shot to her as she told Genesis to wait a moment and approached him.

His eyebrow quirked up at her smile when she approached, and her voice carried her gratitude.  “Thank you.  Things would have gone far differently if you hadn’t been here.”

At her thanks, his brow drew down.  “I do not deserve your thanks.  I only helped where I could.”

She paused and tilted her head slightly as she gave him a contemplative look.  Her smile was softer when she spoke again.  “I know you are probably still not comfortable with all the changes, both to your life and everything else, and I understand.  Better than most.  I will tell you though, that you saved a great many lives tonight, even if it didn’t seem like it.  I will always be happy to have you as an ally.  You deserve all our thanks, even if you don’t think so.”

He gave her a slight glare, but he didn’t contradict her again.  Finally, he gave her a nod and moved to help the Turks direct the traffic flow for those people that had been evacuated off the first and second floor, so they could finally leave the building.  Clarissa smiled at his back before she turned to Genesis.  He was still giving her that unreadable look, but he took her hand and squeezed it before they headed back upstairs.


	9. Decisions

##  **Chapter 9**

Clarissa was thankful they were able to take the elevator back up.  Not that the stairs would have been impossible but tackling them in a dress again was something she hadn’t been looking forward to.  Before they got to the 40th floor, Genesis took his jacket off and draped it over her shoulders.  She gave him a curious look but didn’t get to ask him why he had done it before he explained.  “That should hide the worst of the damage.  It won’t do to panic the guests.”

Her eyes widened as she hadn’t thought about that part.  She was thankful that he was so attentive to the details.  She also noted that he still had that same unreadable look.  Now that things were calming down, she was able to think about it and it had her worried.  He wasn’t the type to stew over anything.  Usually if he had something to say, he said it immediately.  The fact that he had some sort of issue and hadn’t said anything yet had her nerves on edge.  She resolved to ask him about it as soon as they were alone.

When the elevator stopped Genesis took her elbow and they started walking back to the room where everyone was waiting.  They hadn’t gone far before she remembered her shoes and pulled away to go back and get them. He didn’t say anything, but he did watch with furrowed brows until she returned.  She was hopping on one foot and trying to put them on at the same time.  The sight of it made him smirk.  She ignored it as she caught up and then followed him.

Before they got to the door, they started hearing raised voices.  Clarissa shared a concerned look with Genesis and hurried.  When they opened the door, it was to the sight of Cloud being yelled at by a small blonde woman.  He had been one of the guests.  It took Clarissa a moment to understand the fact that the woman had tried to leave, and Cloud had prevented it.  There had been two Soldiers outside the door, so she wouldn’t have gotten far, but she was not happy that another guest had prevented her from leaving.

Genesis immediately moved to defuse the situation.  Clarissa finally got her first good look at the woman when he led her away and her eyes widened.  It was the same woman that he had been with at their celebratory party after the treaty was signed.  She knew her instant jealousy was irrational, but she started to go confront them anyway.  She was stopped when she noticed Cloud and some of the other guests giving her worried looks.  She realized that despite the jacket, they could probably still see her blood on the front of her dress.  She pushed her irritation down and instead moved to speak to Cloud and her new in-laws.  “The situation has been dealt with.  The enemy has gone, and we are currently working on getting the first floor back in order.  You are all welcome to leave now, but please be mindful that if you need to leave the building it may take some time.  I am sure they have at least one of the elevators on lockdown to accommodate their clean-up efforts.”

Several of the guests started talking at that point, but she ignored them.  Her attention was snagged when her mother-in-law wrapped her in a tight hug.  The woman held on for a moment before she leaned back and looked at her with concern.  Clarissa managed to give her a smile.  “Don’t worry.  I am sure it looks worse than it actually was.  It was only a scratch and it is already healed.”

The woman didn’t look convinced.  “It may be fine now, but I hate to see such a wonderful event end this way.” 

Clarissa grimaced.  She wasn’t any happier that the wedding had been interrupted either, but she didn’t want to make anyone worry more than necessary.  “I will always remember my wedding as a highlight, so please don’t let it bother you.  What just happened will be relegated to forgotten history if I have any say in it.”

The woman smiled at that and gave her arm a squeeze.  “Ever the optimist.  I am so happy to welcome you to the family.”

Clarissa’s face finally relaxed into a real smile as her father-in-law seconded his wife’s welcome.  They finally stepped back to let some of the other guests talk to her, although they didn’t go far.  Clarissa looked around and noted that Genesis had several guests that he was speaking to as well.  When she noted the small blonde near him, she had to fight not to frown again.  She allowed the guests that were wishing her well to distract her.

 Cloud hadn’t left either.  He whispered as he walked past her to take up a spot near the door.  “I’m glad you’re alright.”

She gave him a smile before she turned to Veld, who had Tseng and Rufus in tow.  She shook her head when Veld eyed her ruined dress and raised a brow.  She allowed a smirk to show finally.  “There was a disagreement about my lack of color.  I showed her that I didn’t need her approval.”

He laughed before he clapped her on the shoulder.  “Let me know if you ever change your mind.  Despite your protests, I think you would make a fine Turk.”

She shook her head again before she turned to Rufus.  She was a little nervous, but she knew now was as good a time as any to apologize.  “I wanted to thank you for officiating.  It was a wonderful ceremony.”  He lowered his head in acknowledgement, but she continued before he could speak.  “Also, I would like to apologize.  I know we didn’t really get off on the right foot, and I haven’t given us much opportunity to rectify that.  I think that should change.”

He gave her a smirk, but she noticed that both Veld and Tseng had small smiles.  She tried to remember that Rufus was still young and had been groomed to take over the business from birth when his sarcastic response set her on edge.  “I’m glad to see you come around.  After all, you do technically report to me.”

She bit back the retort she wanted to give and only shook her head, although she allowed her own smirk to show when she noticed the look Tseng was giving the young president.  She had a hard time keeping her laughter from her voice when she thought about what that might mean for him later.  “As you say, Mr. President.”

At that point her attention was caught by a woman’s voice.  The woman had already called out several times, but Clarissa had not realized they were speaking to her since they were calling for Mrs. Rhapsodos.  When the woman got right next to her and called again, she turned with a start.  “Oh!  I apologize I didn’t realize-“

Her apology was cut off when she saw it was the blonde that had been with Genesis.  It took all she had not to glare at her.  It wasn’t helped when she saw Genesis had come back as well and he only raised a brow at her response.  She ignored it and tried to keep her voice neutral.  “I’m still not used to hearing that name applied to me, so I apologize.  I thought you were calling for my mother-in-law.”

The woman only gave her a wide smile.  “I’m sure you will get used to it soon enough, after all, you have managed what so many of us wished we could have.”

Clarissa’s eyes widened at the woman’s brazen statement.  She probably would have said something entirely inappropriate at that point if Genesis hadn’t noticed and stepped up to whisper in her ear.  “She is the president of one of my fan clubs.  Please go easy on her.”

She glared at him.  It took her a few moments to even find her voice before she turned back to the woman with a strained smile.  “I suppose you are correct.  Was there something you needed?”

“I apologize!  I got carried away and lost my manners.  I was wondering if you could possibly sit down with me soon for an interview.  As the Commander’s wife I am sure all his fans would love to know how you see him.”

Clarissa wasn’t sure if her face was going to crack or not, she was so focused on smiling and not wringing the woman’s neck.  “Maybe another time.  I will be deployed tomorrow, and we are unsure when we will be back.”

The woman’s face fell, but it wasn’t long before she bounced back.  “I look forward to your return then.  I’m sure everyone will be waiting with bated breath!”

Clarissa knew her irritation at the woman’s enthusiasm was unfounded, so she tried not to let it show when she gave her a nod.  She looked out at everyone that was still left before she spoke.  “We do need to finish preparing for our trip tomorrow.  Thank you all for coming.  I don’t have words for how much your presences meant to me today.”

The new couple received several more well wishes as people finally started to leave.  It was not too long before it was only his parents that were left.  His mother turned to Clarissa with a shake of her head.  “You handled that well.  I’m not sure I would have done the same, although given your positions, I am certain it is something you will both have to get used to.”

Genesis only shook his head.  “I have always been open to correspondence from them, but that was a bit much.”

His father laughed and clapped him on his shoulder.  “You’ll get your chance sometime soon as well I’m sure.  Her fan club is still small, but she hasn’t been a First for long.  By the time you come back, you’ll probably have to disguise yourselves if you want any privacy.”

They both turned to him with flabbergasted looks.  Clarissa was the first to speak.  “My fan club?  What do you mean?”

Both his parents laughed at the faces the two of them had made.  “You didn’t think you wouldn’t have one as well, did you?  You are the first female Soldier and a war hero.  That was enough to start it, but once you made First it took off.”

Genesis finally found his voice.  “I had not heard, but you are correct.  It does not surprise me.”  He then moved to give his mother a hug.  “I apologize that our meeting will once again be cut short, but Clarissa was correct.  We do need to prepare to leave.  I promise that as soon as things settle down some, we will return to Banora.”

His mother gave him a soft smile before she gave Clarissa another hug.  She grasped both their hands.  “I am so happy that you found each other.  I look forward to a big family in the future.”

Clarissa knew her eyes had widened, but she didn’t voice her shock as she watched his father shake his hand before they both gave another round of well wishes and left finally.  When Genesis turned, he must have realized why she was standing there in shock.  He kissed her forehead before he spoke.  “That is a discussion you and I can have at another time.  For now, we have many other things to focus on.”

She was infinitely glad that he didn’t want to discuss children at the moment.  That was something she had never considered yet, and since there was still so much unrest, she didn’t want to think of the consequences.  She pushed those thoughts aside roughly as she turned to the table with all their things.  He noticed and shook his head.  “We will have one of the men take all of that to your apartment to store until we return.  We can move it to our new home at that time.”

She gave him a nod, but she moved to the table anyway.  “That’s fine, but I want to take this with us.”  She picked up the tied ribbon they had been wearing.  He gave her a soft smile and took her hand as they then headed back to their apartment.

Once they made it to the 49th floor, Clarissa finally spoke up.  “I know I shouldn’t feel this way but seeing you still so amicable with one of your exes was hard for me.  I understand that she is the president of your fan club but that only makes it worse, really.”

He stopped and gave her an incredulous look before he chuckled and shook his head ruefully.  “I am beginning to understand how you feel when I show my jealousy.”  She glared, but he ignored it as he pulled her hand to get them moving again.  He shot her a look from the corner of his eye and smiled.  “I told you back then that she was not my date.  I promise you now, that no matter who may look at me, you are the only woman I see.”

Clarissa could feel her face heating, both in embarrassment and in pleasure.  His voice held so much love in that simple declaration that she felt foolish for being jealous in the first place.  She didn’t need to respond luckily.  By that time, they had made it to their apartment.  Clarissa hadn’t been so glad to see it in a long time.

She placed the tied ribbons on one of the bookshelves where it could be seen by any that entered the apartment before she quickly moved to remove her bloodied dress. She gave it a rueful look as she took the pins from her hair.  Genesis had also moved to change, but it was quiet between them.  Clarissa’s only thought was of a shower.  If she had looked to Genesis though, she might have paused.

Once she was under the steaming water, she felt herself finally relax.  She was nearly done when she wondered why he had not joined her.  The thought only made her hurry though.  If he was waiting for her, she didn’t want to use all the hot water.  She wrapped her hair up in a towel and wrapped one around her before she walked out.

She was surprised to see Genesis standing in the living room and staring at her ruined dress.  She walked over and put a hand on his arm in concern, but her breath locked up when he turned that same unreadable look to her again.  This time, she was overcome by a foreboding feeling.  It was justified when he spoke.  “As of tomorrow, you will no longer be a Soldier.  As your commanding officer, I have decided that it would be best if you are no longer in the field.  You will still go to Wutai as requested, but you will go as a representative of the board, not a Soldier.”

She took a few steps back and stared at him in shock for several moments before she could find her voice.  When she did speak, she tried her best not to let the trembling show, but she knew he heard it anyway.  “That isn’t a decision you can make for me.  There is a reason you have never been allowed a say in my career, not from the beginning.”

His brow furrowed and she could tell he was angry, but he managed to keep his voice even.  “This is not a discussion.  I refuse to allow you to be put in danger any longer.”

Her eyes widened as she realized why this was suddenly an issue.  She could feel her own temper rising as well.  “Taking away my position within Soldier will not remove me from danger!  The people we fought tonight and the ones they are obviously working with will not stop hunting me just because you say so.  This is something that we have to face together.”

He had stalked up to her while she was speaking and was wearing a glare by the time she was finished.  She found herself backing up slightly when he spoke again.  “I will protect you, but I do not want to see you bleeding in the middle of a battle ever again.”

When she realized she had taken a few steps back under his ire, she stopped and gave him a glare of her own.  Her next words were out of her mouth before she could think better.  “Do our vows mean so little to you?  Yes, you are supposed to watch my back, but I’m supposed to watch yours as well.  We are supposed to be equals!  Is this really how you see me?”

At her last yell, he slammed his hand on the wall next to her head.  His voice was quavering in his anger.  “I love you!  Can you not see that I only want to protect you!”

Clarissa froze at that point.  Her eyes were wide as she looked at his hand next to her head.  A large part of her wanted to shove him and walk out the door and refuse to come back until they were both calm and she nearly did.  Her hands had already moved up to push him away, but the part of her brain that was still thinking logically made her stop moving and give him a flat look.  She didn’t say anything at all until he slowed his own breathing and finally moved away from her with a curse. 

She could tell he had not given up, but she tried her best to not let her temper choose her words.  She took several calming breaths before she figured out what she really wanted to say.  When she spoke, she put a soft hand on his arm.  He glared at her but didn’t say anything.  “Genesis, I know you think this is best, but please look at it from my point of view.  How would you feel if I asked you to stop being a Soldier, only because I no longer wanted to see you hurt?” 

He started to shoot off a hot retort, but she softly placed her hand on his mouth before he could.  She shook her head at him.  “I understand that you don’t like to see me hurt.  Do you think I feel any less panicky when I think something has happened to you?  When you were gone for nearly a month and I knew Avalanche was out there ready to attack and I wasn’t able to talk to you; do you think I slept well?  Do you think I didn’t worry?  Even knowing that you are facing danger, I wouldn’t ask you to stop because, first, I know what this means to you, and secondly, I know that we still have a long way to go before this planet is even on the path to peace.  As much as I may hate it, there are still dangers that we need to face before this can end.”

At that point he grabbed her in a crushing hug.  She didn’t move as he buried his face in her neck.  The only motion she made was a shiver when his breath crossed her neck when he spoke.  “Starlight, I was ready to burn the world when I thought you had died.  I cannot stand the thought of ever facing that again.  As loath as I am to admit it, just thinking of it terrifies me.  Your possible death is the only thing that gives me nightmares.”

She finally hugged him back, just as tightly.  “I have no plans to go anywhere.  We have a future to build together, and I have big plans.  We are in this together though.  Our futures are tied for the rest of our lives.  Please let me be there with you while we fight for it.  I want to protect you too.”

He didn’t respond right away.  He only stood there and held her like that for several minutes.  Finally, he pulled back enough that she could see his face.  Her heart twisted at the pain she saw there but she didn’t get to say anything before he knelt and picked her up.  Her towels had fallen by that point, but he left them where they lay as he carried her to the bedroom.  His eyes were full of his pain and love.  It was a mix that she wished she could erase, especially when she heard it in his voice.  “I cannot tell you that I am alright with you being a Soldier, ever, but I also cannot see me without you by my side.  If that means we fight together then so be it.  Just expect that we will never be deployed separately again.  That _is_ something that I can enforce.”

She gave him a soft smile as he laid her down.  “Love, you know I would never want to be anywhere else.”

He growled at her and she almost wanted to laugh, but it was swallowed when he kissed her urgently.  She quit thinking about anything other than him as he proceeded to make her understand in a visceral way, that he never wanted to be without her.

 


	10. Inspirations for the Future

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know this is super late coming out and I do not have any excuse, so please accept my apologies. For some reason I have not been able to motivate for anything, so getting this done was like pulling teeth. I'm pushing through though, so hopefully updates will get faster. Thank you for your patience and I hope you enjoy!

## Chapter 10

The next morning Genesis was still not happy about her refusal to quit Soldier.  Their morning was quiet as they gathered the last of the things they needed and headed to the helicopter landing pad.  The negotiators had already left and would be waiting for them in Junon to take the ferry across.  When they arrived, Clarissa smiled for the first time that morning at the sight of both Angeal and Sephiroth in the group that was waiting.  She was also surprised to see Rufus with Veld.

When they were noticed, all eyes turned to them.  Both Sephiroth and Angeal’s smiles faltered when they noticed Genesis’ frown.  They both approached them before they could reach the crowd.  Angeal was the first to speak.  “I know neither of you wants to go back to Wutai, but I still expected to see smiles this morning.”

Genesis’ glower only intensified, but Clarissa rolled her eyes at the sight.  She gave the man a quick hug before she responded.  “Don’t worry.  It’ll be fine.”

Sephiroth raised a brow at the fact that she hadn’t denied that there was a problem.  His curiosity melted into a small smile when he remembered their vows.  She obviously planned to uphold them.  He gave her a quick hug as well before he looked between them.  “You both know that we are family.”  He gave Clarissa a pointed look.  “I believe you were the first to insist on that.  We are far from strangers.”

Clarissa’s eyes widened as she realized what he was saying.  She shook her head and looked to Genesis before she responded.  “I know, but you don’t have to worry.”

Genesis moved to shake their hands to change the subject.  The last thing he wanted that morning was another reminder that his wife refused to listen to him.  “We will be back as soon as possible.”

Both Sephiroth and Angeal gave him a hard look at his curt tone, but neither of them remarked on it.  Instead, Sephiroth gave him a pointed look.  “We have no idea what Godo has planned but stay safe.  You may have been the two that instigated the surrender, but there is no reason you should have to bear the burden of blame.  If it comes down to it, you have permission to escape.  We will leave it to the negotiators to fix it if it comes to that.”

Clarissa shook her head at his order and smiled.  “I can’t say I’m not nervous, but most of me believes it will not come to that.  I get the feeling something is going on that we haven’t thought of yet.  I don’t know why, but I feel that this will be a pivotal meeting; not one where Genesis and I will be put on trial.”

All three of the men gave her curious looks at that point.  It was Genesis that spoke what they were all thinking.  “Did you receive a message?”

Clarissa started to shake her head with a rueful look but stopped, and her face turned contemplative.  After a moment she shook her head again, but it was much slower.  “Not like the ones I used to get.  I didn’t even notice it until you asked.  It does feel like I am being nudged though.”  Her face brightened, and she gave them all a smile.  “Minerva did say she would continue looking after me, even if she no longer interfered.  I shouldn’t be surprised that she is doing what she said.”

Genesis’ face took on a slightly awed tone, but Sephiroth was obviously still skeptical when he spoke.  “I would like to think you are correct, but please do not let your guard down. If it is not as clear as it once was, there is no guarantee you don't just see what you want to.”

Clarissa gave him a shocked look that quickly devolved into a frown.  His eyes widened slightly when he saw it, and he spoke quickly.  “Please do not take that as me thinking you are delusional.  I do agree that it is not unlikely that she has sent you a message given what I heard in Banora, but I would rather you stay sharp and alive.”

She didn’t bother hiding her rolling eyes.  “It’s a good thing we’re family.”

Angeal didn’t hide his laugh.  His eyes were still serious when he spoke though.  “I agree with him.  I know you are both blessed, but it would be best if you keep your eyes open.”

Genesis clapped him on the shoulder as he started toward where the rest of their team was waiting.  “Worry more about keeping the city safe.  We still don’t know what Avalanche has planned.”  He gave Clarissa a smile before he continued.  “We can handle whatever is thrown at us.  We’ll be together.”

Clarissa wasn’t sure if she wanted to melt into a gooey puddle at the look he gave her or roll her eyes at his overdramatization.  She managed to only shake her head.  “We’ll see you both soon.”  She waved to them before she followed Genesis to the helicopter.

When they drew even with the rest of the group, Clarissa was not surprised to see that Tseng was already in the helicopter in the cockpit.  She turned back to Veld when she heard him speaking to Genesis.  “Tseng will be accompanying Rufus, so you will not need to worry about his safety.  We do not want Godo to know that he is with you unless there is need though.  Until you know what he is planning, the two of them will stay back and observe.  If it looks like it could become an international incident, then they will step up.”

Clarissa frowned slightly.  She still wasn’t sure what to think of the young president, even though she told him she was willing to try again.  The fact that she would be forced to talk to him at some point during the trip was a given though.  She was pulled out of her thoughts when Veld shook her hand.  He quirked a brow at her scowl but didn’t mention it.  “Stay safe.  I have not given up yet and I would like another opportunity to convince you to transfer.”

His doggedness no longer aggravated Genesis like it once had, so he merely turned to the helicopter with a disgusted noise.  Clarissa agreed with him.  She gave Veld a crooked smile and shook her head.  “I suppose they say persistence pays off, but don’t forget that I’m as stubborn as they come.”

She almost regretted saying those words when she saw a glint flash through his eyes.  He didn’t comment though.  He gave her a smirk before he walked away.  She decided that she had too much to worry about currently to think about what the man had planned.  She brushed it off when she turned to join the rest in the transport.

* * *

 

Clarissa was pleasantly surprised with Rufus during the first few days of their trip.  He spent all his time in the cockpit with Tseng apparently learning how to fly.  That meant that she and Genesis were mostly left alone.  During the evenings when they stopped, Rufus only insisted that they all gathered for a short time to go over possibilities.  It was refreshing to note that he was still arrogant, but he was not demanding.  They were all an equal part of the meetings. 

When they finally were on the ferry to Costa del Sol, she and Genesis had their first time alone and didn’t bother hiding the fact that they planned on making the most of it.  The only time either of them left their cabin during that two days, was to eat.  The last evening found them both sitting up in the bed.  Genesis was propped against the wall and Clarissa was sitting between his legs and leaning back against his chest.  He was holding her around the waist, and she was reading aloud.  He was wearing a sleepy smile as he listened to words he already knew well being read aloud by his new wife.  That thought made him squeeze her a little tighter.

She paused at the motion and smiled, but if he had been looking, he would have seen something behind the smile.  It didn’t matter that he missed it as she put the book down with a sigh.  He opened his eyes and looked at her with confusion when she twisted in his arms just far enough to be able to see his face.  His confusion turned to a slight worry when he saw her frown.  He tried to keep his voice light though.  “Is Loveless boring you?”

She rolled her eyes before she laid her head against his chest.  “No, but there is something that has been on my mind that I wanted to talk to you about.”

His brows drew down slightly as he lifted her chin to look her in the eyes.  “I thought by now that you had no qualms with saying whatever you pleased.  You certainly haven’t bothered asking for permission before.”

That did finally draw a laugh from her, but it was short lived.  She shook her head slightly.  “I wasn’t really asking for permission.  It’s just that I have been debating on whether I should speak about it at all.  I know you said we would in the future.”

He stilled at that.  He didn’t need to ask what she was thinking about.  He squeezed her slightly and kissed her forehead.  “I know my mother spoke without thinking.  I am sure that once she has time to think about her request, that she will understand we are in no position to bring new life into this world.”  He paused and gave her a soft smile before continuing.  “As much as the thought of you holding my child pleases me, it is something that will have to wait.  Even if you had stopped being a Soldier, it is far from safe enough for that.”

Despite her misgivings, hearing Genesis say that he would be pleased at the sight of her holding their child made her heart melt.  The feeling didn’t last long, and the worry left in its wake made her words take on a sad tone.  “That is one of the reasons I wasn’t sure if I should bring this up at all.  The discussion about having children is definitely something for the future, but…” She looked up at him and searched his eyes for a moment before she continued.  “The fact is, I’m not certain we _can_ have children, even if we wanted to.”

At her words Genesis leaned back slightly and frowned.  “I know birth control has been part of your check-ups since you started Soldier, but certainly if or when we decide to bring new life into the world that can be stopped.”

She shook her head.  “That isn’t it.  Think about it.  I know that normal Soldiers can have children, as I took care of a few of them, but neither of us could be considered a normal Soldier.  Even if you discount the wound to my middle, there is still the fact that we are both inundated with Jenova’s cells.  That is a fact that we have to consider for a plethora of reasons.”

His eyes widened at her words.  He didn’t move for several moments as what she said sank in.  He had not yet considered the fact that the experiments done to them could cause complications.  Even if they did not, the fact that no one had any information on what those experiments might cause in the long run made him pause.  He realized there was a possibility that any child the two of them had together, could very well end up further mutated because of it.  The idea turned his stomach.  He tried to keep his pain at the thought from his face though.  “I had not yet considered that, but again, that is something that can be addressed later.  Who knows, by the time we are ready to think about it, a solution may have presented itself.”

Clarissa could see the pain in his eyes, even if he was trying to hide it, and laid her head back down.  She didn’t want him to see it in hers too.  “I know.  The future is unknown, so I’ll not worry about it for now.”

She felt him still under her cheek for a moment before he chuckled.  She sat up quickly at the sound and gave him a curious look.  He cupped her cheek and smiled before he explained.  “You are correct.  Even for you the future is unknown, and that, my love, is a glorious thing.  Be thankful that we are together to discover it.”

When she realized his meaning, she beamed at him before she tackled him and kissed him hard enough to steal her own breath.  When she sat back, he lifted a brow at her.  “Please explain to me what inspired that.  I would like to keep it in my arsenal to use at my leisure.”  She laughed at him but didn’t answer.  Instead she kissed him again.  Not as passionately, but it still conveyed her feelings.  That kiss quickly had them both forgetting their worries as they found themselves tangled in the sheets again.

* * *

 

They refuelled in Costa del Sol before heading across the continent.  By the end of the second day, Clarissa remembered why she hated traveling on Gaia so much.  They had gathered for their nightly meeting in a corner of the inn’s dining area.  When she sat, she stretched back with her arms clasped above her head before sitting forward and trying to rub a knot out of her neck.  “I think my hearing is going.  Those rotors are murder.  God, I never thought I would miss commercial airplanes.”

It took her a few moments to notice the silence around the table at her ranting.  She looked chagrined but didn’t have the opportunity to say anything before Rufus spoke up.  “Airplanes, not airships?”

At his question she realized why they were all giving her strange looks.  She hadn’t thought about the reaction when she was venting.  She shrugged it off.  It was already out.  “Yes, planes.  Where I’m from anyone can purchase a ticket to travel by air.  A plane can go just about anywhere on the planet in under 24 hours.”

At that, they all three gave her looks like she was crazy.  She rolled her eyes at them.  “Don’t give me that look.  I am pretty sure there is at least one plane on Gaia, even if it’s the old prop type.”

Tseng was still giving her a doubtful look, but both Genesis and Rufus’ had turned contemplative.  The young President was the first to speak.  “Even the airship that is in development is not expected to go that fast.  What is the difference?”

Clarissa wanted to kick herself for starting the conversation but managed to keep it to a sigh.  She wasn’t sure how she was supposed to explain aerodynamics to these guys.  She looked around trying to find inspiration when her eyes landed on the folder in front of Tseng.  Her eyes widened and she grinned.  “Tseng, would you happen to have a few sheets of paper you don’t mind getting ruined, and some tape?”

The Turk looked like he wanted to ask her if she had lost it finally, but he didn’t get to respond.  Rufus spoke up.  “Just get it for her.”

Tseng didn’t look happy about the order, but he stood.  “I don’t have tape.  Allow me to ask the manager.  I’ll be right back.”

Rufus waved him away before he turned back to Clarissa.  “This had better be good.”

She laughed at his implied threat.  “When I was in high school, we did a project that had us make a plane from paper that would fly at least ten feet after being dropped, not thrown.  There were a lot of creative designs and most of them would take forever to put together, but I can pare one of them down enough to show you what you want to see.”

By that point Tseng had returned and he silently handed her a roll of tape and a small stack of paper.  She took them with a smile before she immediately started folding the first sheet.  When she was done, it looked triangular near the front, but it angled down into a point.  The back was folded further until it almost looked like a backwards spear head.  She set that one to the side and grabbed another.  That one only took a few folds.  They eyed it with curiosity when they noted one side was rounded and not flat.  She held it up for them all to see.  “This is the biggest thing that makes them different.  Even if you had a powerful enough engine on an airship, the resistance from the air drag would slow it down.  With a plane, these wings are created to cut the air and cause lift at the same time.”

She held it up in her palm and blew on it.  The long wing lifted from her palm and fluttered a few feet away before it dropped.  She quickly picked it up and turned to Tseng.  “Do you have a sharp knife on you?”

He gave her a disgusted look before he reached down and pulled a small stiletto from somewhere.  She looked at it for a moment before she took it from him.  “I suppose you never know when or why a Turk might come in handy.”

He raised a brow at her before he spoke.  “Would you like to know what else that has been used for?”

She gave him a slight glare.  “No thanks.  I would rather be able to sleep tonight.”  She ignored his smirk at that and turned to cut a slit in two sides of her first piece.  She then carefully slid the ‘wings’ into the slit, being careful not to crush the slight curve.  When it was done, she eyed it for a few moments and shrugged before standing.  “It isn’t the best, but it should show you what I mean.”  She then faced an open area between the tables and held it above her head before she let it go.

They had been expecting it to flutter aimlessly for a short distance before it fell.  It was just paper after all.  Even after her explanation, none of them expected it to glide across the room and hit the wall before it crashed down.  She quickly went to grab it before she rejoined them with a smile.  “Now imagine how fast something with this design could go with a powerful engine.  Travel would become much quicker.”

When she laid the now bent plane back on the table, even Tseng looked impressed.  Rufus picked it up almost immediately and looked it over thoroughly before he looked back to her.  “This would revolutionize life on this planet.”

She noted the look in the president’s eyes and realized he was already thinking of all the practical applications for the new mode of transportation.  She shook her head slightly, but she was smiling when she answered.  “Yes, it could, but don’t forget that we already have a lot to tackle.”

His eyes narrowed slightly at her rebuke, but he was quickly smirking again.  “With that in mind, think of how much easier it would be to get aide to remote areas as well.”

She did laugh at that.  “You’re right.  If you are serious, I believe Cid Highwind would be the man to talk to.  He might already have a small one of these.”

Tseng gave her a contemplative look.  “He has been in Midgar for the last two years.  He is working with Palmer to build our airships.  He could easily be rerouted.”

Clarissa nodded.  “I didn’t realize he was already there, but that makes sense.”  She huffed a dry laugh at that point.  “I don’t know if I would ever call rerouting him easy though.  He is likely to turn the air blue at the news.”

Both Genesis and Tseng gave her confused looks at that, but Rufus’ had turned contemplative again.  “You have met the man?”

She realized too late that she should not have mentioned that last fact.  She shook her head.  “No, but I have heard of his, ah, bad habit.”

Rufus nodded at that, but she could tell he was still in deep thought.  Luckily, she didn’t have to worry about it.  Genesis stood and helped her to her feet before he turned to the others.  “We are only a little passed half way there.  Why don’t we retire, as tomorrow will be another early day.”

Neither of them objected as Genesis bid them goodnight and led Clarissa upstairs.  She could tell he had more questions, and she doubted they would be getting to sleep right away.  Thankfully, she knew that Genesis believed her without doubt, so any questions he had would not be because of disbelief.


	11. Secrets and Negotiations

##  **Chapter 11**

It took them another week to reach the Imperial City of Wutai.  They had stopped a short distance away from the city the night before so they would be able to arrive in the morning.  Both Rufus and Tseng stayed with their helicopters while Genesis and Clarissa continued with the negotiators.  When they approached the city, they were immediately given an escort to the palace.  It was a beautiful place with bright colors and calming gardens throughout.  It reminded Clarissa that they had surrendered before the city came under siege, but only barely.

At the palace gates, to everyone’s surprise, the negotiation team was asked to wait.  They were escorted to a sizeable lounge-like area while the rest of the guards led Clarissa and Genesis to meet with the Emperor.  None of them were certain what this unexpected turn of events meant, but there was no getting around them without causing an uproar.

The two of them were taken to a much smaller room.  It was still large enough that it could have accommodated them all, but the large desk near the window gave the impression that it was for much smaller meetings.  They were both bid to take seats while they waited for Godo to arrive.  They complied, although neither of them really relaxed.  Two of the guards stayed with them near the door while the other presumably went to let Godo know they had arrived.

They didn’t have to wait long.  When the Emperor of Wutai entered, it was with all the regality one would expect from a monarch that had never been defeated.  Both Clarissa and Genesis stood and gave him a slight bow in deference to his position and as a gesture to show that they were there as representatives of a governing body that viewed him on equal footing, and not as someone conquered.

When they stood, Godo was wearing a slight smile, but there was a glint in his eyes that was impossible to miss.  When he got to his desk, he gave them the same bow.  That action alone helped them dispel the notion that they would be put on trial for war crimes.  The Emperor would not have greeted them as equals had that been the case.

He gestured for them to retake their seats as he spoke.  “Commander Rhapsodos, Lieutenant-Commander Williamson, please relax.  This will not be a formal affair.  I simply have some questions for you.”

Clarissa took her seat, but Genesis was still standing.  At least his voice was neutral when he spoke.  “That would be Lieutenant-Commander Rhapsodos, not Williamson.”

At Genesis’ proclamation, Godo looked between the two of them before he laughed.  Clarissa could feel her face heat as she remembered what the Emperor had told her the last time they talked.  She still kept her voice even and spoke up before he was finished laughing.  “Let it not be said that your observational skills have ever been lacking.  I believe you knew this before we did.”  Genesis gave her a curious look at that.  She had never told him about that conversation.  She ignored it though. 

They could still hear a chuckle in Godo’s voice when he responded.  “I am glad to see that I was not incorrect.  For now, please take a seat.  There are a few things I would like to discuss with the two of you before we can get into the topic of renegotiations.”

Genesis finally sat at that point, but the look he shot Clarissa told her that they would be having another talk later.  She barely managed to keep back her grin.  It wasn’t like her husband needed anything else to preen his ego.  She turned back to the task at hand when Godo started speaking again.

“I will not lie and try to convince you I have not had spies in Midgar.  After the surrender, I kept them there to monitor and see if there ever could be an opportunity to change the circumstances.  Especially after meeting you.  It didn’t come as a surprise when I heard that the company that tried to rule the world was suddenly changing from the inside.  Very few of the reasons why trickled to me, but the rumors were enough to warrant further questions.”

He paused at that point to allow the two of them to ask questions if they needed to.  Genesis was giving him a hard look, but Clarissa spoke before he could say anything rash.  “Your Majesty, I am not surprised to hear this news.  With the untimely death of the last President, we are taking the opportunity to reshape the company to better fill the role of the governing body and world power it has become, as well as look further into the future for sustainable prosperity for everyone.  That is not something we ever intended to keep secret.  What I would like to know, is what rumors could possibly pique your interest to the point to request our presence specifically?”

Godo sat back at that point and steepled his fingers together while he watched them for several minutes.  Genesis was still wearing a frown and Clarissa could tell it was taking all his will power not to blow up at their host.  She was glad he was trying at least. 

When Godo finally spoke, she forgot about the impending possibility of Genesis’ anger.  “Do you realize that when you speak, you glow with honesty.  And yet, I can still see in your eyes that there is more you are not saying.”

Clarissa looked at him with confusion.  He shook his head before he continued.  “Over the years I have become a good judge of character, so when I started hearing the rumors, I was intrigued.  I had a feeling that you might have been in the middle of what instigated those changes.  It wasn’t until some of my questions were confirmed that I realized there may be more than any of us suspected.”

The look he was giving them both as he spoke made the hair on the back of her neck stand up.  There was something that the Emperor wasn’t sharing.  At least not yet.  It wasn’t long until she got her answers though.  “I know that neither of you is human.  Or should I say, you are more than human?  It was something I long suspected of several that Shinra employed.  The strength and skill far surpassed what any human could accomplish, even with years of training.  None of you have had the years to become close without the aid of your enhancements.  And yet, despite the war that raged, those of you in command ever acted with honor.  It was a conundrum that made no sense to me, how the puppets were never tainted by the corruption of the puppetmaster.”

At that, Genesis finally stood and looked like he was about to say something to spark a fire.  Clarissa stood and put a hand on his arm.  He glared at her, but she didn’t back down.  Now wasn’t the time to start something, even if she also still felt the unease thick in the air.  Genesis turned from her with a low growl and walked a few steps away before he turned back and pinned the still calm Emperor with his famous glare.  “I am not sure what you think you know, but I would like to know where you are getting your information.”

Clarissa sighed.  She understood his anger, and she felt edgy as well, but the rest of what the man had told them was a significant indication that he held them in some respect, even if he viewed them as enemies.  She understood as she had felt the same.  She wanted to shake her head at the situation but instead turned back to the man behind the desk with a frown.  “Your Majesty, while I am grateful to know that you do not fear us as leashed monsters, I will have to second Commander Rhapsodos’ question.  What makes you think that particular information to be correct?”

Godo finally stood and walked around his desk.  The look he gave them both was contemplative.  “You have been a Soldier the shortest amount of time, and yet when you were cornered, and your men were in danger, you quite literally became a force of nature.  When you were injured, your mate decimated my troops in his rage.  That does not count the ferocity of the Silver Demon, even when he was a child.  If I did not have further proof than that, it would still be enough to confront you with this.”

At that point, he looked to one of the guards and waved a hand before turning back to them and continuing.  “However, I do have solid proof.”  He gestured to a man that had just entered.  “I believe you do not need an introduction.”

They had turned when they heard the man enter and froze.  Clarissa felt ice in her veins as she recognized the man that joined them.  When she found her voice, it carried more than a little heat.  “Fuhito!”

The newcomer gave them all a slight bow and turned sharp eyes to Genesis and Clarissa.  “I believe we may have gotten off on the wrong foot.  When I was told that you are working on reformation to help replenish the planet, I knew I needed to speak with the Emperor as well.  It would benefit us to all work together to build that future.”

Much to everyone’s shock, it was Genesis that grabbed Clarissa as she took a threatening step toward Fuhito.  That didn’t stop her from speaking though.  “That’s bullshit!  Your idea of helping the planet replenish and ours couldn’t be any different.  You are a psychotic murderer that isn’t any better than Hojo.”

Clarissa didn’t miss the tightening of his jaw, but to his credit, he kept his voice calm.  “While I admit that I believe the late Professor Hojo was a brilliant man, he often took things too far.  Surely you can see how his genius has benefited you.  There is no way you could have gotten as far as you have without his aide.  Besides, can you truly claim to not have blood on your own hands?  Change isn’t always facilitated easily.”

Clarissa suddenly felt ill at his accusation as all the faces of the men she had murdered ran through her mind.  Genesis didn’t suffer from the same problem.  He stepped past her and blocked her from view before he pulled a fireball up.  The glare he was giving Fuhito should have had the man trembling, but he obviously suffered under the delusion that he couldn’t be harmed.

Unfortunately, that wasn’t far from the truth.  Before Genesis could make another move, Godo’s harsh voice cut across the building tension.  “Enough!”

His voice wasn’t angry, but it was enough to draw every other gaze to him.  When he had their attention, he moved back around his desk and gave them all a hard look.  “I did not ask you here to start anything.  I know you are all people of action, but I also believe that you are capable of diplomacy.  Sit, and we will talk.”

Fuhito immediately took a seat.  As much as Clarissa wanted to eradicate the threat he represented, she knew any actions would have to wait until this was resolved.  She took the seat next to him, but Genesis remained standing.  He took up a spot next to her with a hand on her shoulder.  She smiled at the small gesture, knowing it was as much to reassure himself as it was for her.

Godo gave him a curious look at his actions but didn’t push for him to sit.  His voice was still hard when he spoke again.  “I understand there is history between us all, but if we truly all want the same thing, there should be no reason we cannot work together to make it happen.”

Clarissa could feel her rage heating her face.  She had no doubt that Fuhito was using this as an opportunity to fulfill his goals, but she also couldn’t see a way to expose him without making things worse.  She bit her lip to keep from saying anything until she had a better idea of what was going on.  Genesis’ grip on her shoulder tightened, and she realized he was in the same frame of mind.

Because of their silence, Fuhito was the first to speak.  “I will admit that as Avalanche, our methods were violent, but seeing the truth behind the rumors that Shinra is looking to change has shown me that there might be another way.”

He then turned directly to Clarissa and Genesis.  “I have seen most of what was done to both of you.  Surely you can see how your unique positions and abilities can help build a better future.  You have been given a great gift.”

Clarissa moved before her thoughts could catch up.  She had stood and taken several steps back.  She ignored Genesis as she glared at Fuhito.  “This is _not_ a gift.”  A part of her mind knew that what she was about to do was stupid, but her anger goaded her on.  It was only a split second after she spoke that a giant grey wing was spread from her back and across the room.

Godo stood at the sight of it, but she was focused on Fuhito.  He had given up on trying to hide the glint of interest at the sight of her extra appendage.  He stood and took a step closer to her, but Genesis was suddenly between them.  His voice was full of the fire he was known for.  “You have no idea the hell we have been through.  Do not presume to think this was wanted.  She has survived more than any person should have to in order to keep this world from being destroyed.  I will never allow a maniac like you near her.”

Fuhito’s look of interest did not go away, but caution was added as he stopped.  It looked like he was about to say more, but Godo spoke again.  “I can see now that what I have been told is the truth, and what I inferred is also correct.  I will agree that we all need to work together for a brighter future, but I can see that much needs to be cleared first.”

Clarissa was stuck between anger and anguish when she looked back to their host.  His voice had been calm, and his eyes did not show the disgust that she had expected, but he also made no move to dismiss Fuhito.  She could feel bile rising in the back of her throat when she thought about the possibilities.  Something had to be done.  A thought suddenly occurred to her that she was sure Genesis would not like, but it might be the only way to get out of this.

She turned to face Godo and ignored the other two men.  She hoped he could read her sincerity as well as he said he could.  “Your Majesty, given your lack of surprise at this development, I would venture to guess that Fuhito has some of Hojo’s files.  I also know that he has been working with Hollander, so I am sure you know the bulk of what was done to all the Firsts, myself included.  However, there is much more to this story that will never be in those files.”

She saw Fuhito move from the corner of her eye, and she heard Genesis move as well, but she continued to ignore them as she focused on the Emperor.  “I know that much needs to be done between our countries before we can even begin to facilitate rebuilding.  I have been the biggest advocate of truth and transparency when it comes to these negotiations, and I will continue to be.  I will tell you everything that our board of directors knows and why the changes have been facilitated, but I have a request first.”

She could see Fuhito to her right and could almost feel his interest.  When she glanced to him, she could see that he was nearly salivating with the idea of learning more.  She repressed a shudder and was grateful when Genesis moved to block her from the madman’s view.  She looked back to Godo at that point and found that he was still contemplating things. 

When he finally looked up, there was something in his eyes that she couldn’t quite name, but he gave her a nod before he turned to Fuhito.  “Thank you for your input.  We will continue our discussion later.”

The man looked taken aback.  His rage at the dismissal was clearly visible in his clenched jaw, but he managed a curt nod before he turned on his heel and walked out.  Once he was gone Godo turned back to Clarissa and Genesis.  His eyes lingered for just a moment longer on her wing before he gestured toward the seats again.  “I will presume that was going to be your request?”

Clarissa nodded before she sat again.  She could still feel the tenseness in the air, and she hadn’t put her wing away.  She hoped it would serve as a physical reminder during their talk.  “Yes, thank you.”

She could feel Genesis scowling next to her and wasn’t surprised when he spoke up.  “This could be disastrous.”

He was completely ignoring their host as his eyes were pinned on her.  She craned her neck up to meet his eyes and shook her head.  “I told our board that complete honesty was the only way we could rebuild.  I wasn’t planning for this, but given the circumstances, it is the best way.”

They were both ignoring Godo by that point, but he was watching the exchange with interest.  It didn’t surprise him at all when Genesis pulled the smaller woman to her feet and wrapped her in a tight embrace before he looked to him over her head with a glare.  He kept his face passive at the threatening tone the fiery man gave him.  He understood the protective instinct.

“I will go on record as stating now that I will not allow her to come to further harm, from anyone or for any reason.”

Godo gave him a nod.  He couldn’t fault the man, even if it was extreme.  It was something that he had expected when he asked them to come.  The fact that they were now married solidified his thoughts on the matter.  At that, Genesis finally released her.  She gave him a shake of her head before she retook her seat and turned back to the Emperor.

Clarissa took a deep breath before she continued.  “I know this will be hard to believe, but what I am going to tell you is still the truth.  Hopefully, it will give you enough to think about and at least consider our request to not have Fuhito as part of this.”

Godo’s curiosity was piqued further at her words, but he barely allowed it to show when he nodded his head.  At his indication, Clarissa launched into the story of her arrival and why it was needed, including the changes that were wrought and the part that Avalanche still had to play.  She went all the way up to the disruption of her wedding.  When she was done, Godo sat back with a contemplative look.  None of them spoke again for several minutes.  Genesis had been quiet through most of her retelling, but he held her hand in a tight grasp.  She could tell that he was tensed for action still and had been through the hours of her retelling.  She was only glad that neither man had interrupted her.  It was a long enough tale as it was.

The silence stretched for so long that Clarissa was beginning to wonder if the man would declare them mad and throw them out.  She was so tense that when he finally did speak, she nearly jumped.  It took her a moment to realize he was addressing Genesis.  “She was correct in thinking that would be a hard tale to believe.  From your actions, I can see that you do, however.  I know that this question may seem inappropriate, but why do you think any of this is the truth?”

Clarissa felt his hand heat at the question and squeezed before he could speak.  She saw his jaw clench, but he gave her a reassuring squeeze back before he spoke.  Thankfully, his tone was at least nearly neutral.  “I believe her because I have seen many things with my own eyes.  Not the least of which was the fact that I have stood in the presence of the Goddess herself and heard thanks given to my wife for diverting disaster.  What she hasn’t told you is the fact that she left a family behind.  She was forced to sacrifice everything she ever loved and was asked to accomplish something that most would have quailed to think of.  She faced it head on and worked tirelessly to make it happen, even though no one believed her for a very long time.  I am not the only one to have seen this.  There are several of us that stood next to her at the end and understand what was done.”  By the end of his speech, his tone had become impassioned. 

Godo sat back once he was finished and gave them both a contemplative look.  Clarissa hadn’t missed how his eyes had widened slightly while Genesis spoke though.  She took a moment to speak again.  “Your Majesty, I told you from the beginning that mine would not be an easy tale to believe.  I cannot give you proof beyond what you have already seen, but I do have one other thing to ask.”

He raised a brow at the fact that she was still making requests, but simply nodded for her to continue.  “One of the requests we planned to make concerned things that were left behind by Hojo.  He kept many things secret, even from his employer.  One of those was the fact that he conducted the worst of his experiments in secret labs.  We have found that two of them are here in Wutai.  Avalanche already knows of their location as they have attacked us while we were trying to clean out two of them on the Western and Eastern Continents.”

Godo’s brows drew down as she spoke.  This was something that Fuhito had failed to mention.  The fact that there were some in Wutai made him wonder if there was more truth to her accusations toward the man than he had initially thought.  Fuhito had only asked to settle in Wutai and suggested the meeting.  He had not allowed any of the Avalanche team members free rein in his kingdom, and while he was not glad to see his reserve was warranted, he was reassured that he had enforced it, nonetheless.

He looked back to her with a sharp gaze.  “That is pertinent information, but it is not a request.”

She didn’t flinch under the look before she continued.  “We were going to ask for permission to deal with them ourselves.  Given the fact that we would like to foster an ongoing relationship with Wutai, I can offer that we allow you to accompany us so you can see what we are trying to extinguish first-hand.  The only thing I will beg of you is that you do not allow anyone from Avalanche to go as well.  There is no telling what kind of damage could be done if they get their hands on this information.”

Godo stood at that point and looked to both people in front of his desk.  His mind was still full of the possibilities, whether her story was true or not.  “You have given me much to think about.  I will need time before I make any decision.  I will have rooms set for you as well as the team of negotiators.  Please make yourselves at home while you wait.  I am certain that I will have more questions.  For now, please excuse me.”

At his dismissal, they both stood.  Clarissa gave him another slight bow.  When Genesis continued to glare, she pulled on his hand.  They weren’t going to accomplish anything by being antagonistic.  She could hear his huff at her actions, but he still gave the man a slight bow as well.  They were both surprised when it was returned.  After everything neither had expected it.  Clarissa hoped it was a good sign as she and Genesis followed the guard back to their group to wait for their rooms.


	12. Family Secrets?

## Chapter 12

When they were finally shown to their rooms, Genesis pulled out his phone and gave Tseng a brief overview of what had happened.  When it was relayed to Rufus, the young President was on edge, but it was decided to continue to keep his presence hidden.  Clarissa wasn’t entirely convinced that Godo didn’t already know, as he seemed to have an uncanny ability to ferret out information.  But he hadn’t said anything about it, so they were content to let it lay.  Rufus was only supposed to interfere in case of emergency anyway.  If they were allowed to do what they came to do, then there might not be a reason for anyone in Wutai to suspect that the young blonde was anything other than a Turk.

They ended up having to wait three days before they were called back to the Emperor’s office.  In the meantime, they had been offered a guided tour of the city and were shown all the way to the base of the sacred mountain, Da-Chao, but they were not allowed any closer.  It was still impressive.  Clarissa was amazed at the opportunity to be able to see everything in person, but her enthusiasm was dimmed by the fact that Genesis was so antsy that he was nearly livid.  He was not a patient man by nature, so being forced to wait and knowing what hung on the decision, made him irritable at best.  Clarissa did her best to keep him occupied and not trying to burn anyone to a crisp, but even she was thankful when they were finally called to see the Emperor.

Godo was waiting for them when they were guided into his office.  He gave them a small bow in return to theirs before he gestured to the seats.  Clarissa looked around quickly before she sat.  She noticed Fuhito was not there, and she hoped that was a good sign, but she tried not to get her hopes up.

Her tenseness was eased some when Godo spoke, but not by much.  “I have taken time to deliberate what you have told me, as well as investigate further.  I have verified your trip through my country at least, but that doesn’t prove much.”

He paused as if he was deliberating what he wanted to say next.  Neither of the Soldiers tried to interrupt.  They were both ready to get to the point.  When he finally spoke, it was easy to tell that he was uncertain, even if he was still trying to project certainty.  “I took the liberty of sharing part of what you told me with Fuhito.”

Genesis jumped up at that point, and Clarissa wasn’t too inclined to stop him.  She had explicitly asked to keep that information from the maniac.  Godo did not seem fazed by the outburst though.  He raised a hand before he continued.  “Please sit.  I did not share anything that would allow him to harm anyone.”

Genesis didn’t look convinced and didn’t sit, but Clarissa tried to take Godo at his word.  He was still treating them with respect, so that had to mean something.  She gave him a nod, and he continued.  “I asked him about the labs here in Wutai.  Much to my dismay, he denied their existence.  It wasn’t long after we spoke that he was caught trying to relay a message to someone outside the country.  I have been forced to detain him until this is completed.”

He sat back at that point and gave them both an evaluating look.  “There was something else brought up in my conversation with Fuhito that I would very much like to discuss with both of you, but before we get into that, I would like to offer you both an opportunity to make sure there isn’t anything else you would like to share.”

Clarissa tensed further.  She felt a shiver crawl up her spine as she realized this was a test.  He knew that they had contacted Rufus and was wanting to see if they would continue keeping secrets.  She wanted to kick herself for even thinking that it would be overlooked after they told him they would be transparent.

Clarissa didn’t have to mention it though, as Genesis finally sat with a glare.  His voice was harsh when he answered.  “It is clear you already know that Rufus Shinra is here as well.  He is not here to participate in the negotiations unless you request his presence.  He decided to come to address any issue that came up, but he represents the Board as much as we do.  He can not make decisions without the input of everyone else.”

Godo raised a brow at him.  “His role is not the same as that of his father?”

Clarissa shook her head.  “No.  With the restructuring, the Board of Directors has taken on a bigger role in decision making.  While our CEO can execute decisions, and the President’s requests may be given further deliberation, none of us can make decisions alone.”

Godo tilted his head slightly.  “Us?  Are the two of you on this Board as well?”

Genesis huffed and crossed his arms.  “We might as well be, as often as we are asked to join.”

Clarissa couldn’t contain her smile at him.  She could tell he was finally letting go of his anger, at least a little.  She looked back to the Emperor.  “While we are often asked for input, and our thoughts are given weight, we are not technically part of the board.  The military representative position is held by our Director, Lazard Deusericus.”

Godo was silent for several moments, but he finally nodded.  “That is good to hear.  I am glad to see that Shinra is truly looking to change.”

He stood and walked to the middle of the room before he spoke again.  “Now, when I spoke to Fuhito, he let slip that he wasn’t surprised that you two seem to have a connection to the planet, you in particular Commander.  He seemed to believe you have a genetic connection.  Why is that?”

Genesis and Clarissa had gotten to their feet when Godo stood.  When they heard what he had to say, Clarissa put a hand on Genesis’ arm.  It was still new for him and to hear that Fuhito of all people already knew, made her stomach churn.  Genesis face had gone blank, but Clarissa could feel his hands heating up.  She squeezed the one closest to her.  When he squeezed back, she relaxed slightly.

She could tell his voice was barely contained when he answered though.  “I only recently found out myself, but my birth mother was a Cetra.  Since it was part of Hollander’s research, it does not surprise me that Avalanche has that information.”

Godo had obviously not been expecting that response.  He took a step closer to the two Soldiers.  “You are certain she was a Cetra?”

Genesis glanced to Clarissa briefly, and she stepped forward.  “Yes, it is certain that Ifalna was a living Cetra.  She had another child, as well.  I will not divulge any information about her, though, as she is still young and needs to be protected.”

Godo gave her an absent nod before he gave Genesis a sharp look.  “That means you truly do have a connection with the planet.  I had suspected that at least one of you might have been, given your obvious talents with magic.”

Genesis shook his head and gave Clarissa a brief look.  “My wife may as well be considered Cetra also.  Her connection to the planet is no less than mine.”

Godo looked between them and then nodded.  “I still cannot claim to believe everything you have both shared, but I have seen enough to at least grant your request.  We can leave for the first location tomorrow, and I will not allow any from Avalanche to join.  We will be taking a contingent of my personal guard, so there should be no danger.”

Clarissa nodded, and Genesis spoke.  “Thank you, your Majesty.  We need to erase the destruction left in Hojo’s wake.  If it allows you a better opportunity to believe us, all the better.  We look forward to seeing you in the morning.”

They were dismissed after that.  Clarissa felt better than she had going in.  She knew that they had been given a warning, though.  The fact that Godo had practically told them they would be going under guard was clear, but at least he had banned Fuhito.  It was a start that she could work with.

* * *

 

When they left the next morning, the negotiators were asked to stay until they returned.  However, Godo asked if Rufus would join them as well.  Tseng had not been happy to find out they had told the Emperor about Rufus, but the young President had no problem with it.  It gave him the chance to influence Godo directly.  Clarissa wasn’t sure how she felt that would turn out.  She knew Godo was wily and had years of experience, but Rufus had a harsh upbringing and had been expected to run Shinra with an iron fist like his father.  The fact remained that his training didn’t go away, just because he had finally decided that ruthlessness wasn’t needed everywhere.

She gave their conversations half an ear for the first few hours, but that was all it took for her to find something else to do.  They both had the art of saying a lot of nothing down pat.  She figured if her input were needed, they would ask.

* * *

 

It ended up taking them two days to get to the first of the labs.  Godo had his troops surround the building, but he only took two of them inside.  He allowed the two Soldiers to go first and Tsung and Rufus were last.  Once the two Soldiers completed a sweep of the first few rooms, they cleared the others to enter.

They stopped in the first room that was full of monitoring equipment that still seemed to be on.  Genesis, Clarissa, and Tseng quickly set to work in finding a layout and where each of the monitored rooms were.  While they did that, Godo and Rufus started looking at the images that were still up.  It was only a few minutes before Godo made a sound of disgust and stepped back. 

Clarissa gave him an understanding look.  “You can see for yourself now what we are trying to do.  We need to put these creatures out of their misery and make sure no one else can ever commit such atrocities again.”

He nodded but didn’t bother looking at the screens again.  It was only a few minutes later that Rufus made a curious noise and called out.  “What is this?”

Clarissa was the closest to him, so she went to investigate.  What she saw drained all the color from her face.  “Dear god, that impossible.  It can’t be.  No, they were…”  She realized she wasn’t making sense when Rufus shot her a glare with an impatient tsk.  She ignored him though and scrambled to find the room the monitor was showing.  As soon as she found the number she shot off.

Her actions took the others by surprise, but Genesis wasn’t long in following.  Both Rufus and Godo went as well, although they were barely able to keep the others in sight.  At least the hallway was straight once they entered the wing where the room was.

When Clarissa got to the room and found it locked, she barely paused before she rammed it with her shoulder.  The impact barely dented the door, but it didn’t open.  She realized that it was probably built to withstand the occupants so it wouldn’t be easy to break open.  By that time, Genesis made it to her.  He gave her a worried look, but she just pointed at the door.  “Can you get this open?”

He almost refused, but the look in her eyes stopped him.  She was nearly panicked.  He had no idea what the issue was, but he obliged and rammed the door as well.  It finally gave after he hit it once more.

The other two had caught up at that point.  They were both out of breath, so all they could do was watch with curiosity when Clarissa flung the door open and ran in.  She stopped halfway across the room and nearly dropped to her knees at the sight of the three bodies that were curled up in fear in the corner.

She had to take a couple of deep breaths before she could speak without her voice shaking.  She did kneel at that point and spoke softly.  “Kadaj, Loz, Yazoo, it’s alright.  I’m here to help.”

At her soft voice, the smallest of the boys finally looked up.  His eyes widened at the sight of the kneeling woman with silver hair like his.  The largest of them had started crying, but they all stood and took a step closer to her.  It was the smallest that spoke.  “Mother?”

Clarissa had to bite back a sob.  She had thought these three were only fragments of Sephiroth’s will.  If she had thought for a moment that they were physical clones, she would have already been looking for them.  There was no telling how long it had been since the scientists at this facility had abandoned them.  It couldn’t have been too long, but that was probably the least of what these children had endured.

She finally managed to shake her head as she held up her arms.  “No, but I suppose you could call me sister.”

She expected them to be wary, so it was no surprise when they didn’t step forward right away.  Kadaj, even though he was the smallest, was the first to step forward.  He stopped far enough away that he could look at her closely, but not close enough for her to grab him easily.  He must have seen something that he wanted as he took a couple of steps closer.

Clarissa kept her arms up.  She wouldn’t try to touch him unless he made the first move.  She knew they had to be spooked at best.  She wanted to scream.  These three just added to the long list of things that Hojo needed to die for.  It was too bad that he couldn’t be killed more than once.

Clarissa only watched as Kadaj reached out and grabbed a few strands of her hair.  He let it slip through his tiny fingers before he looked closely at her eyes.  He finally stepped close enough that he could put one of his tiny hands on her arm.  “Sister?”

Clarissa couldn’t make her voice work, so she nodded.  He looked back at the other two and gave a small nod.  It broke her heart to see them so mature for such little children.  She knew that none of them could be over ten yet.  If she had to guess, she would have said that Kadaj was probably only seven.  The other two couldn’t be much older.

At the boy’s nod, the other two came forward as well.  They were hesitant, she could tell, but once they were all standing in front of her, she finally wrapped them in a hug.  They were stiff at first, but it wasn’t long until she had three little sets of arms around her neck.  Loz had started crying again, and she suspected that the other two were barely holding back.  She knew they may never recover from being at Hojo’s whims, but she was going to start treating them like the children they were.  Her voice was barely over a whisper.  Only the three that were clinging to her heard it.  “It’s okay to cry.  I’m not going to let you three be alone again, okay?  Now that I found you, you will never be experimented on again.  I promise.”

Her words seemed to be the catalyst for the other two as well.  When they started crying, Clarissa sat and pulled them all into her lap.  She kissed the closest forehead and smoothed another’s hair.  She tried to keep her own tears from coming, but it was a lost cause when Yazoo finally gave her a straight look and touched her face.  She kissed his forehead as well before she pulled him closer.  The four of them sat like that for a long time before she was reminded that they were not alone.

Genesis had come to stand in her field of view and knelt in front of them.  His face was a mix of worry and consternation.  Clarissa might have laughed when she realized how it might look to him, but she stopped when she felt the three boys stiffen.  She pulled back a little and tilted her head toward Genesis.  “This is my husband.  He is family too.”

They still didn’t look entirely convinced, but Kadaj stood and gave Genesis a curious look.  He tilted his head to the side before he spoke.  “You feel like sister does.  Are we also related?”

Genesis gave the boy a shocked look but quickly recovered.  He gave them a nod.  “In a way, I suppose we are.”

The other two stood as well, although Loz refused to let go of Clarissa’s hand.  She got to her feet also.  “Boys, I can take you out of here and get you something to eat.  We can figure out everything else later, okay?”

They all looked to her with interest.  She repressed another growl of frustration at how eager they all seemed at the mention of food.  There was no telling how long it had been since they were fed.  It was likely that the only reason they were still alive was because of their genetic make up.  Kadaj took her other hand and pulled slightly.  She smiled at the action before she headed toward the door.  Yazoo had Kadaj’s other hand. 

They all squeezed closer to her as they exited and saw the other two men.  She kept her voice calm to try and ease their worry.  “They are here to help too.  We don’t have to worry about that right now, though.  Come with me.”

None of the boys said anything.  To both Rufus’ and Godo’s credit, they didn’t speak either.  They must have understood enough to know the boys were traumatized.  It was easy to see that Clarissa was likely to be the only person they even partially trusted for the moment.  Even though Kadaj had acknowledged Genesis as related as well, none of them had bothered to get close to him.  They were sticking to Clarissa like glue.

She took her time taking them back out to where the transports were waiting.  They clung even closer to her when they saw the Wutai troops, but no one approached them.  Once she got to the truck she had been riding in, she picked them each up and put them in the back before she climbed up and started rifling through the supplies.  It wasn’t long until each of the boys was scarfing down everything she gave them.

She only gave them small bits at a time to make sure they didn’t get sick.  If it had been more than a few days since their last meal, they could end up throwing up if they ate too fast or too much.  It was only the fact that she had to watch them closely that kept her from thinking about how angry she was.  Not just at Hojo either, but at whoever it had been that had left them.  It was evident that the facility had been occupied until recently.  Even after Hojo’s death.

She did her best not to think about it as she sat with the boys.  Once they were done eating everything she was willing to give them, they curled up against her.  It wasn’t long until their breathing evened out and she could tell they were asleep.  Or at least they were trying to rest.  It was enough.  She had noticed Genesis’ presence nearby the whole time, but she was grateful that he hadn’t gotten closer.  She called out quietly, now that they were relaxed.  “It’s ok to come talk to me, just don’t get too close.”

When he came around the corner, his eyes softened at the sight of them all curled against her.  His voice was soft when he spoke.  “For a woman that claims to be unsure of her ability to become a mother, you certainly have a knack for finding children.  And they gravitate to you.”

Her responding smile was slightly pained.  She knew he had been trying to tease her, so she pushed the painful reminder aside.  He must have noticed the pain in her eyes, and he quickly changed the subject.  “They are clones of Sephiroth, aren’t they?”

She nodded as she brushed Kadaj’s hair from his face.  Since she didn’t respond verbally, Genesis continued.  “You knew them, but you didn’t mention them to us.  Why?”

She looked up to him and shook her head.  “I did.  They are the three that were called remnants.  I was always told that they were part of his broken will.  I was never told that they existed outside of his mind.  If I had thought for a single minute that they were alive…”

She couldn’t stop the tear that fell.  Genesis wanted to hug her, badly, but knew that he dared not get closer until they accepted him.  He tried to convey his worry and care through his words.  “This is not your fault.  What matters now is that we have found them.  Going back to Midgar may be hard, but they are safe now.”

She gave him a nod and wiped the tear away.  She felt Kadaj stir against her and realized he was probably listening to them.  She smoothed his hair again as she finally answered Genesis.  “I’m sure everyone has a ton of questions, but we can figure it out after these guys have rested.  I doubt they will feel safe for a long time to come, but I’m going to do all I can to hurry that up.”

Genesis had noticed the difference in the boy’s breathing as well, so he took a step back.  “I’ll update the others.  Keep them safe, and I’ll be back to check later.”  Clarissa could tell he had much more to say but was thankful that he had enough sense to wait.  Gaining their trust would be difficult, but they couldn’t help them move forward until they did.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A couple things, first, I know that Kadaj and the gang got their names from Kyrie's memories, but according to that part of the story, they are remnants of Sephiroth as well. Given that I've shaken things up a bit (read that as a LOT), I think it's okay to keep their names. I hope you all enjoy! Thanks!


	13. What Comes Next

##  **Chapter 13**

It was several hours later that the three boys woke, and Clarissa fed them again.  Once they were done, she sat them all down once more.  “In a few minutes, we will head over to talk to the rest of the people that are here.  There are a couple of things I want you to know before we do.  First, you are not obligated to tell them anything about what happened.  I hope that someday you trust me enough to do so, as it will help you, but I will never force you to.  Secondly, no matter what else is decided, I will not be leaving you or letting anyone take you.  I will fight anyone who tries.”

She knew that they would understand what she was saying, even as young as they were.  She could only imagine what their lives had been like, but she could tell already that they had been forced to become more mature than other children their age.

They were looking at her with blank expressions for several minutes.  She allowed them time to figure out what they wanted to say.  Finally, Kadaj spoke up.  “Do you know where mother is?”

Out of all the questions they could have asked, that was the one she had hoped they wouldn’t.  Although, it didn’t surprise her.  She took a deep breath as she tried to figure out the best way to tell them, as she didn’t plan on ever lying to them.  They had enough of that.  “The one that you call mother, she spoke to your minds, didn’t she?”

Her heart broke a little more when his little eyes narrowed with distrust.  He still answered her with a nod.  Clarissa sighed.  She wanted to hug them all so badly; to take away their pain, but it was something that only time and care would help.  She hoped that what she had to tell them wouldn’t make it worse.

“I can imagine that it was helpful sometimes when things got bad.  Do you mind telling me what she told you?”

The three boys looked at each other again.  Clarissa realized at that point that they could probably communicate telepathically.  It didn’t surprise her.  When Kadaj finally looked back, she hated to see his gaze was shuttered.

“She told us that when we were finally together that we would help her rule this world.  We would all be a family and happy together.”

Clarissa nodded.  It was what she expected, even if she hated that it made what she was going to tell them that much harder.  “I thought that might have been the case.  She has told others the same thing in the past.  The one you call mother was actually an entity from space.  Her idea of ruling was to destroy everything and absorb it all.  I have no doubt that she wanted to have you with her, but it probably was not in the way you were led to believe.”

At her words, all three boys backed away.  Clarissa felt her eyes prick with tears at the way they were looking at her.  She knew she only had one chance before they refused to trust her; if they didn’t already.  She swallowed and gave them a nod.  “I know that isn’t what you wanted to hear.  Believing that you weren’t alone, that you were destined for greater things, that had to have helped you endure.  The last thing I want to do is take that away.  As a matter of fact, I would like to help you find a family for yourselves, even if it isn’t with me.”

Their looks had turned confused.  She could tell they were talking together once again.  She sat quietly and allowed them to finish.  Kadaj was their spokesman once more.  “I heard you tell Brother that we are clones of Sephiroth.  Is he the one that Mother told us about?  The one that was to take us to her and lead us all?”

Clarissa nearly sighed again but gave them a nod.  “Yes.  Sephiroth was raised by Hojo too.  He was treated as an experiment, as well.  The only reason he isn’t still in a lab is because they used him to fight their wars.  They tried to turn him into a living weapon, but it didn’t work.”

They communicated silently again, and Clarissa gave them the space to do so.  She couldn’t hold back a few tears when they turned to her with frowns.  “Why should we believe you?”

Her mind went into overdrive as she frantically tried to think of the best way to explain so they wouldn’t close everyone out.  Her brain finally snagged on a memory, and she turned to them with a hopeful expression.  “I know you can speak to each other telepathically, have you also learned to read other people’s memories yet?”

Kadaj gave her a shocked look, and opened his mouth to say something, but snapped it shut before anything came out.  He stared at her hard for several minutes before he finally spoke.  “Why do you want to know?”

Clarissa knew that what she said next was going to be a gamble, but she also knew it would be much worse in the long run if she lied and they found out.  With that thought on repeat in her head, she answered.  “I have met Jenova, in a way, but it was not a good meeting.  I would like you to see what happened for yourselves so you can decide if you want to trust that I want to help you or not.”

At her request, all three of the boys gathered closer to one another again.  They quit trying to hide the fact that they were talking to each other at least.  Yazoo shot her a few dirty looks and Loz started crying.  Clarissa felt her heart clench several times as they kept throwing glances her way.  By the time Kadaj turned to her again, she could feel her heart in her throat.  She hadn’t experienced anything like it since her daughter’s first high fever.  She had been frantic at the time.  This situation made her feel the same way, and she had to repress the urge to reach out to the boys.  As much as she knew they needed comfort, she also knew that until they felt at least semi-safe with her, then trying to comfort them would have the opposite effect.

The boy took a few steps forward and stopped just out of her reach.  “We have agreed to see.”

Clarissa took a deep breath before she could steady her voice.  “What do you need me to do?”

She wanted to cry at how aloof he was trying to be as he took another step forward.  She could see that he was trembling, and she knew he had to be afraid.  It took all her willpower to sit still while he put a hand on her forehead.  She tried to concentrate on her first encounter with Jenova, but it wasn’t long until she could feel other things being pulled to the front of her thoughts.  Even though they were all painful memories, she didn’t fight the sensation.  She knew if she did, the boy in front of her would know and might take it the wrong way.  It broke her heart to know they were all being exposed to pain again, but she couldn’t see a way to hide them from it.

She hadn’t expected to be able to feel him in her mind, but she supposed that because they all had Jenova’s cells, it wasn’t surprising.  What did surprise her was the fact that she was starting to feel them as well.  Something in his actions was opening her up to their mental connection.

It wasn’t long after she made that realization that Kadaj stepped back.  It was only after he let her go that she heard Loz sobbing.  He was curled up, and Yazoo was trying to comfort him for once, instead of picking on him.  She started to stand and go to him, but she was stopped when Kadaj grasped her face in a nearly painful grip.  The fear and anguish in his eyes were clearly visible.  Clarissa could no longer stop herself from wrapping him in a tight hug.  He didn’t resist.

When he didn’t do anything other than move his arms to around her neck, she stood with him and shifted to grab the other two as well.  She was glad it didn’t take much coaxing for Loz to allow her to maneuver him into her lap.  She had barely known the three of them for a day, and already she was more than sick of seeing them cry.  Not because she had a problem with it, but she hated that they had a reason to.

When the three boys finally settled into hiccups, she leaned back a little and looked Kadaj in the eyes.  “I’m sorry you had to see all that.”

His look turned confused for a moment, but he quickly tried to adopt a blank mask as he stood.  “We saw mother attack you.  Why?”

Clarissa didn’t bother holding in a sigh.  She shook her head as she responded.  “I know she was special to you all, and I will always be grateful for what she did to help you, but she wanted to use me and many others.  When she couldn’t use the cells we share, she tried to destroy them instead.”

By that point, the three boys had backed away once again, but she was thankful to see that at least two of them weren’t glaring at her.  She was coming to expect it from Yazoo, and somehow, she doubted it was because he was actually mad still.

She finally smiled when Kadaj spoke again.  “If we go with you, will we meet Sephiroth?”

She knelt to their level and gave them a nod.  “Yes.  I imagine it will be a shock for him, but don’t worry that he won’t want you around.  I’ve been calling him brother for some time now.  You three will just be part of the family.”

It was only a moment later that Kadaj gave her a nod before he jumped out of the truck.  He paused and looked back.  Even though his expression was blank, Clarissa could see a slight upturn of his lips, and it made her smile when he spoke.  “You said there were others we needed to speak to.”  She followed him down and helped Loz.  Yazoo sneered at her offer and jumped down as well.

They had barely made it around the truck before the boys all stopped.  Clarissa looked over and saw that it was because Genesis had been leaning against a nearby tree.  Her heart did a little flip when he approached and gave her a smile before he looked down at the boys.  She didn’t think she would ever not love the sight of it.

Kadaj spoke up before Genesis could though.  “We saw you in Sister’s memories.”  Clarissa was shocked when he paused and stepped closer to Genesis.  She didn’t move to stop him when he cocked his head to the side and gave the taller man an evaluating look before he continued.  “If we stay with you, will we all be family?”

Genesis’ expression showed his shock when he glanced over to Clarissa.  She gestured for him to answer and smiled when he knelt so the shorter boy would not have to keep craning his neck.  Her heart melted a little at the gentle tone he used.  “Yes, I suppose we are all connected already.  Family is as good a label for it as any.”

At his words, Yazoo joined Kadaj, and they looked between the two adults.  Clarissa realized they were done with the conversation and smiled again.  As painful as her memories had been, at least they had achieved what she had hoped they would.  She smiled at Genesis as the boys allowed him to finally approach Clarissa for the first time since they had found them.  When he took her hand, she nodded to the left since Loz had her other hand and she couldn’t point.  “I believe the others are waiting over there.”

She saw both Rufus and Godo standing near one of the other vehicles as some of the troops were loading computers.  When Clarissa realized it was equipment from the labs, she stopped and waited for them to come over instead.

The two leaders had not made it to where the makeshift family was waiting before an explosion went off near the truck with the computers.  Genesis instantly had his sword in hand, and Clarissa was not far behind.  They looked to see where it came from and she nearly growled at the sight of several men swarming the area.

Genesis took up a protective stance in front of Clarissa and the boys.  When Clarissa realized the opponents were more than just enemy combatants, she pushed him toward Rufus.  “I can handle the boys.  You go take care of the President!”

He hardly spared her a glance, but she could tell he hadn’t liked what she said.  She barely kept from rolling her eyes.  “Now is not the time!  I can handle myself, but those two men are going to be next to helpless against Ravens.  Go!”

She didn’t wait for him to answer before she summoned Shiva.  She kept her back to the boys as she had the eidolon create a dome of ice.  Once it formed, she looked to the boys.  She had expected them to be fearful, but she was shocked to find them all wearing fierce expressions.  She had mixed feelings about it, as she completely understood their need to protect themselves, but she didn’t want them to have to.

She pushed the feeling aside as she focused on her summon.  ‘Do not let anything break this dome.’  That was her only instruction as she headed toward the single exit.  No matter what else happened, nothing was getting to those boys.

Once she was outside, she barely had time to react, as most of the Ravens she had seen were headed to her location.  As soon as they reached her, the blades she held became a blur.  She gritted her teeth as a wave of anger washed over her.  It didn’t take much deduction to know that the target was either her or the boys.  She had no plans for any of them to fall into Avalanche’s clutches.

She barely had a chance to glance in Genesis’ direction to see that a group of Ravens had converged on him.  She growled when she realized they were focused on keeping him occupied.  At least none of them had made any moves toward the two political leaders.

Her attention was drawn back when a fist shot into her field of view.  She barely managed to dodge, and it landed on the dome instead.  She felt a slight relief when the hole that was created instantly filled again.  She could ignore the draw in her spiritual energy for some time still, and it was more than worth it to keep the boys safe.

She followed the fist back and started when she saw the grim face of the man she recognized as Shears.  When their eyes met, he finally spoke.  “I know that you are more than a Shinra pawn.  We have an inkling of what you are, but it begs the question of why you are working as a Soldier.”

When he spoke, the Ravens had stopped attacking momentarily.  She took the chance to better cover the entrance to the dome she had made and glared back.  “I have done what I needed to do to save the world.  That is all you need to know!”

He scoffed at her.  “Shinra and saving the world do not even belong in the same thought.”

She growled as she parried an attack from her side.  She didn’t give any ground and still managed to pin the man with a glare.  “A handful of corrupt and insane men do not make up the company.  With those men gone, the company has already started implementing changes to not only undo the damages done but to make the world a better place for everyone.”

His only answer was a flurry of quick punches.  Since he no longer had the element of surprise, Clarissa had no issue dodging them all.  After a moment, he took a step back to reevaluate his strategy.  He started pacing when he shot her another dirty look.  “If you worked with us, we could allow Gaia to begin anew.”

Her eyes widened before she glared again.  “I would never help that madman destroy humanity.  It is possible for us to live in harmony with Gaia.  It doesn’t have to be all or nothing!”

There was a flash of confusion in his expression before he sneered at her.  “Helping the planet does not mean destroying humanity.”

It was Clarissa’s turn to scoff.  “That is what I just said.  However, that isn’t what Fuhito believes.  Did you never wonder about Elfe and her predicament?  Fuhito knew that the broken materia implant was killing her and he didn’t give a shit.  Not as long as he could harness the power it held.  He wants to save the planet, but his idea never involved humanity in any way other than annihilation.  If you really want what you say you do, then you are following the wrong person.”

Shears shot her another confused look before he stepped back.  It was several heartbeats before he shot her a glare.  “You have no idea what you are saying.”

Instead of getting angry, she gave him a sad look and shook her head.  “I understand why you don’t want to believe me.  That doesn’t mean I’m lying.  Watch him.  I am sure you have already seen the truth, but you want to deny you have been following a maniac.  In time you will have to accept the truth.  If you find that you can’t hide it from yourself anymore, I know you could make real changes.  I would be happy for the help.”

He couldn’t hide his shock at her offer as he took several steps back.  He shook his head but didn’t say anything right away.  He finally turned and ran back the way they had all come with the Ravens near her following.  Clarissa caught sight of Genesis trying to chase after him, but he was stopped by several Ravens he hadn’t yet cut down.  By the time he had dealt with them, Shears was gone.  Clarissa didn’t like the fact that he had gotten away either, but she hadn’t wanted to leave the boys undefended.

When they were sure the last of the enemies were gone, Clarissa allowed the dome of ice to disappear along with Shiva.  The others joined her as she turned and knelt to check on the boys.  They were all wearing scowls.  They didn’t lose them until she reached out for Loz and Kadaj.  She would have hugged Yazoo too, but the boy ducked her hand and instead walked to stand beside Genesis.  Clarissa grinned at the sight of it, but she didn’t say anything.

Once she was sure they were unhurt, she turned to see Rufus and Godo had joined them.  It was Godo that spoke first.  “Those were the Ravens you spoke about, yes?”

Clarissa nodded, and the Emperor’s lips thinned.  He nodded once.  “If Fuhito has already managed to get information to the rest of Avalanche, then we must make haste to get to the next facility.  No matter his words, his actions have proved he is untrustworthy.”

Clarissa wanted to roll her eyes at the fact that he was just now saying that.  She figured it would have been apparent after what he saw in the labs.  She managed to keep her irritation to herself.  “We can’t leave this facility unprotected, but yes, I agree that we need to get people that are equipped to handle the Ravens over there as soon as possible.”

Rufus spoke up at that point.  “If the Emperor will allow it, I can call for further troops.  We can have them at both facilities within a couple of days at most.”

Godo did not look happy to hear that they were so close, but he nodded after a few seconds.  “I will also send troops.  You will be given one chance to prove that your only goal is to clear this blemish from my country.  If we are to build a better future, then we need to learn to work together.”

Clarissa raised a brow at his statement.  She knew he had not yet agreed to anything, but his declaration was as close to an agreement as they could get without the official paperwork.  It gave her hope.  She gave him a nod before she spoke.  “If you would be willing to leave these troops here until others can be sent, then we can head to the next location right away.”

She glanced at Genesis when he uttered a disgusted sound.  She wasn’t sure why he was glaring until he spoke.  “You need to take those three and head back to Midgar immediately.  We can send troops to help.  The last thing I want is for you to fall into that madman’s hands.”

Despite their audience, she gave him a glare.  “I am perfectly capable of protecting them and myself.  I don’t need to be babied now!”

Part of her knew that he was thinking about how this was not the first time they had tried to take her, and it made sense, but she hated to think that he felt she was incompetent.  She could see a storm brewing behind his eyes, but both of their attention was drawn by Rufus’ calm voice.

“Lieutenant Commander Rhapsodos, we have all seen how capable you are, but protecting those boys and getting them to safety should currently be your primary objective.  I will arrange for a unit to travel back to Midgar with you.  I will allow Commander Rhapodos to travel with you until you meet with the others.”  He paused and turned to Genesis.  “Once they are safely delivered to the Soldiers, you will meet us at the next location.”

Clarissa had to bite back a curse.  She knew he wasn’t wrong, but there was more at stake.  She counted to ten before she finally responded.  “Respectfully sir, I don’t think that is the best idea.  I know that you will have regular troops, but without at least one Soldier, you will be in danger.  The Ravens could attack at any time.  It would make more sense for us to continue together.  At least until the troops you send for can meet up with us.  Afterward, I will agree to go back to Midgar.”

Both Rufus and Genesis frowned at her insistence.  Genesis looked like he was about to say something, but Rufus spoke first.  “Agreed.  If there are no further objections, then I will call right away.  At least half the troops should be able to meet us en route via helo if they leave right away.”

He glanced around before he pulled out his phone.  Genesis still looked livid, but Clarissa could tell he knew the wisdom of what was decided.  She could tell he still had plenty to say to her, but he would wait until they were alone.  If they got the chance to even be alone before his temper petered at out at least.  She had to bite back a grin at that random thought.

Since their course was decided, Clarissa turned back to the boys.  They had been watching the exchange with interest.  She could tell they were still not entirely sure what to think, but at least Kadaj and Loz didn’t pull away from her.  Yazoo had gone back to Genesis’ side when both Rufus and Godo left once again, quietly talking to one another.  She wasn’t sure why the boy had obviously taken to her fiery husband, but she reasoned it might have something to do with the fact that he hadn’t yet tried to hug them.  As much as it pained her, she knew that not all children appreciated touch as much.  It was doubly likely with the three boys. 

No matter what the case was, it would take time before they could figure it out.  At least they would have the chance to, and she was determined to make sure they would always have the choice to decide the course of their own lives.  It was the least of what they deserved after all they had endured.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know my updates have been slow for everything, and I apologize for that. I haven't given up on anything, but life is super crazy right now. Hopefully I can get back to normal soon, but in the meantime, I would like to ask for your patience. I really appreciate every reader and all your reviews, so don't think that I'll be giving up. Thank you all!


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